


BELL

by hataru



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Almost Kiss, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Bella Swan, Brotherly Bonding, Daydreaming, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Fantasizing, Fix-It of Sorts, Flustered Edward Cullen, Holding Hands, Human/Vampire Relationship, Internal Conflict, Midnight Sun, Mutual Pining, Nicknames, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character Bella Swan, POV Edward Cullen, Panic Attacks, Pining, Platonic Relationships, Protective Edward Cullen, Rating May Change, Reincarnation, Sad Edward Cullen, Scent Kink, Sub Edward Cullen, Subtle flirting, Teasing, Touching, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, follows the books
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25123426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hataru/pseuds/hataru
Summary: She’d been through this many, many times before. It was always the same— uneventful, plain and short. She wasn’t planning on trying to do anything extraordinary this time, she just wanted to live a long and normal life, undisturbed. However, it seemed like someone else had a say in it this time.(lunaeti.tumblr.com)
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Edward Cullen/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 96
Kudos: 457
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts





	1. Welcome to Forks

In her last life, she’d been the young daughter of a gossipy housewife. Her memory of it was hazy, but she could recall that the woman wasn’t the most loving and was actually quite selfish. And she’d found no problem in leaving her three year old inside a car in the middle of one of the hottest summers just to purchase some clothes from the store. She hoped that her previous mother at least felt _some_ level of sadness when finding the sweaty corpse of her child in her backseat. It was highly doubtful, but it was a nice thought nonetheless. 

So, yes, you could say Isabella Marie Swan detested the heat. Phoenix was always sweltering hot and it’d be a miracle if it rained more than twice during the whole year. It was currently nearly eighty degrees, not a single cloud present in the vast expansion of the blue sky as Renee Swan drove Bell to the airport with all the windows rolled down. She was extremely grateful for the, albeit dry, breeze caused by the speed they were going at. She was wearing the white sleeveless, eyelet lace shirt her mother had gifted her last Christmas. It was something like an unspoken farewell to both her mother and the disgustingly dry city of Phoenix.

She wouldn’t miss it much, not really. Bell fidgeted with the folded parka sitting on her lap as she thought of her destination, watching as they grew closer to the airport. Forks was a small town situated in the Olympic Peninsula of the northwest Washington State, its sky covered by ever present grey clouds. The highest temperature recorded there was _seventy five degrees_ , that was considered cold in Phoenix! It rained every single day in Forks, more than in any other place in the United States. To Bell, that was heaven. To Renee? Not quite. 

Her mother had quite literally fled from Forks after she and Charlie divorced, taking a three month old Bell from her little piece of heaven. Thankfully, she’d been allowed to visit every summer up until a small accident during a fishing trip when Bell was fourteen that caused Charlie to start visiting her in California for two weeks each summer instead of the other way around. It wasn’t _his_ fault she was clumsy enough to trip over her own feet and fall out of the boat, but he’d still felt immensely guilty.

But now, as a — physically — seventeen year old, she could make her own decisions. She was abandoning Phoenix in exchange for Forks. She hated everything about the vigorous city; it was dry, hot, loud. From past experience, she knew she wouldn’t live very long with such hatred for the place she lived in. Forks would be her literal savior with its cool temperatures and cloudy skies. Her life as Bell Swan would definitely be long and content if she lived there. 

“Bell,” Renee spoke up before she could board the plane. The soft tone of her voice made Bell turn on her heels, parka clutched to her chest and suitcase sitting by her feet. She managed to avoid grimacing at the expression on her mother’s face. “You don’t have to do this.” Renee reminded her, her wide brown eyes nearly begging. Bell wouldn’t ever dream of leaving her loving, erratic, harebrained mother behind, but she had Phil now. He could take care of her and make sure she had everything she needed. 

“I do. I really want to go.” Bell said truthfully, letting go of her things to pull her into one last hug. She could feel Renee shudder under the palms of her hands as the older woman breathed out a watery sigh. 

“Tell Charlie I said hi.” 

Bell smiled softly, “I will.” 

Renee pulled back and cupped her face in her soft hands, brown staring into brown. “You can come home whenever you want, I’ll come right back as soon as you need me.” She insisted and Bell could hear the truth in her words, see the sacrifice reflected in her eyes. 

The corners of her lips lifted into an easy smile and Bell nodded her head. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine— it’ll be great.” She quickly reassured and leaned forwards to place a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “I love you, Mom.” 

Bell couldn’t help being mildly amused as Renee could barely say the words back, watching tearfully as her daughter boarded the plane. It was a three hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, then another hour in a small plane to Port Angeles, and finally an hour drive to Forks. The flights were alright, filled with the chatter of excited passengers and the occasional cry of a child. What she was really looking forward to was the drive back to Forks with Charlie. They were more alike than she and Renee were, people of few words and comfortable silence.

Her father had been both pleased and excited when he found out she was going to be living with him. Charlie had already registered her for highschool and was going to help her with a car since driving a motorcycle in such a rainy place wouldn’t be her safest choice. When Bell finally made it to Port Angeles, it was raining. A light drizzle that came down from the cloudy sky, the sun hidden behind a thick grey curtain. She took it as a good omen and said, from the very bottom of her heart, _good riddance_ to the hot sun. 

Charlie was waiting for her by the cruiser, dressed in his uniform. Bell nearly ran over to him and disregarded his attempt to give her an awkward one-armed hug by dropping her things and wrapping her arms around him. He gave a soft grunt and a chuckle, patting her back softly. “It’s good to see you, Bells. You haven’t changed much,” Charlie noted as they pulled away, smiling down at her. “How’s Renee?” 

“Probably crying in my room and caressing my pictures, but otherwise fine.” Bell grinned as her few bags fit easily into the cruiser’s trunk. Her clothes from Arizona weren’t suitable for the change in weather and the warm clothes that they’d managed to buy weren’t too many. “It’s great to see you, Dad.” She’d missed him terribly, even his inability to cook a decent meal. 

“I found a good car for you, really cheap.” He announced the second they were strapped in and pulling away from the airport. 

“Oh?” Bell turned away from the window to raise an eyebrow at him, a smile playing on her lips. “What kind of car?” She asked, trying to tone down her excitement.

Charlie glanced at her from the corner of his eye, seeming to be biting back a smile of his own. “A truck, a Chevy, actually.” He answered and Bell did a little fist pump that made him chuckle. 

“Where did you get it from?” 

“Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?” Charlie enquired, making a turn.

“Yeah, he used to go fishing with us.” She could remember him clearly, from his olive skin to his long black hair and the laugh lines on his face. He was from the little indian reservation, along with his family. 

“He’s in a wheelchair now, so he can’t drive anymore,” He continued, “He offered to sell me his truck cheap.”

Bell drummed her fingers on her thighs, watching the trees blur as they went past, “What year is it?” She saw him shift in his seat and turned to stare at him fully, his expression pinching. 

His dark eyes darted around the road and he adjusted his hold on the steering wheel. “Well, Billy’s done a lot of work on the engine— it’s only a few years old, really.” Charlie ramble on. 

She raised her eyebrows, knowing he was ardently avoiding the subject. “Yeah, but _when_ did he buy it?” Bell pressed. It really didn’t matter, old things sometimes worked better than new ones, but it was fun watching him squirm. 

Charlie grimaced, “Late nineties, I think…” 

“Was it new?” 

“Well, no,” He mumbled, sort of curling into himself as much as he could while driving safely. “I think it was new in the early sixties, or late fifties at the earliest.” Charlie admitted, sheepish.

Bell bit back a smile, “As long as it doesn’t need me to fix it, it’s fine. I don’t think I could afford it.” 

“Really, Bells, the thing runs great. They don’t build them like that anymore.” 

_Don’t I know that_ , she thought, amused. “So, how much is it?” She finally asked. 

“I kind of already bought it for you, honey. As a homecoming gift.” He added, peeking over with a hopeful expression on his face. 

She blinked, gaping at him in surprise. “Oh, no— Dad, you don’t have to do that. I can play for it, really! How much is it?” Bell practically demanded. Her father was an angel, and she’d be damned if she let him waste his money on her. 

He smiled at the road, “Nothing. It’s a gift, Bells.” Charlie pointed out, visibly pleased with himself. “I want you to be happy here.” 

Bell slumped in her seat, defeated, and sighed. “Okay, but please don’t buy me anything else.” 

“No promises.” 

She groaned under her breath, making him let out a short laugh. Bell found herself smiling again at the sound, “Hey, Dad?” He hummed. “Thank you. It means a lot to me.” 

“No problem, Bells.” She spotted the bashful pink staining his cheeks and bit her inner cheek to stay quiet, turning her head to look out the window.

A few comments about the weather — which was, quite simply, _wet_ — were made during the rest of the ride, the remaining time filled with a comfortable silence. The scenery was beautiful, filled with green everywhere you looked. The tall trees, their trunks covered with healthy moss, their branches filled with wet leaves, the ground covered with ferns… Even the air was filtered down greenly through the leaves, a far cry from the stuffy air and dull colors of the city.

They eventually made it to Charlie’s, a small house with two bedrooms he’d bought with Renee when they got married. It looked just as she remembered it, its walls painted the very same white. The street hadn’t changed at all either, with the minor exception of the truck parked in front of the house. She gasped audibly as she laid her eyes on it. It was a faded red color with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. Bell knew for a fact that if she ever got into an accident with another car, her truck would come out unscathed. 

Bell placed her hand on the hood, grinning widely as she turned to look at Charlie. “I love it! Thank you so much, Dad!” 

The previous blush returned to his cheeks with vengeance and he cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I’m glad you like it.” Charlie said gruffly. 

It only took one trip to get all of Bell’s things upstairs to the west bedroom, the one that faced the yard. Bell stood in the middle of the room and took everything in. It smelled lightly of fresh paint, the walls a light blue shade, and her bed was surprisingly large. The peaked ceiling was still the same, along with white lace curtains hanging from the window, and the chair and a desk pushed against the wall. Now there was a little white box sitting on said desk, Wi-Fi from the looks of it, and a dark blue beanbag in another corner. 

It felt like home.

Charlie wasn’t one to hover, so he’d left her to unpack and get settled after hearing her approval. Renee wouldn’t have left so easily, Bell recalled as she hummed to herself and put away her clothes. She took out her camera with great care and set it on her desk, then proceeded to hang some of her photos around the room. They were fairly simple; some were of animals — mostly birds — while others were just sceneries, but they were pictures taken in the right moment. Bell had always enjoyed immortalizing moments and people like that, ever since she was handed her first camera in the sixties. 

She finished up unpacking and took a small bag filled with her toiletries to the bathroom, along with a towel and a change of clothes. Bell took a quick shower to clean herself up from the long day of travelling. She looked at herself in the mirror as she brushed out the small tangles in her wet hair. She was pretty, in a plain girl-next-door sort of way, with her dark brown hair and brown eyes filled with green flecks and her pale complexion. Bell could blend in with the rest of the kids at school here, they should be almost the same shade given the lack of sunlight. 

However, from what she knew, Forks High School only had three hundred and fifty-seven — now fifty-eight — students. It was a small town and word got around rather quickly, so she was sure she’d still stick out like a sore thumb. Bell could try to fit in, but deep down she knew she’d be labeled as the weird girl who spoke few words and took pictures of meaningless things. It was just the way it was, the way it had been for many lifetimes now. And that was fine, she was happy with herself and her work and that was all that mattered.

She’d fallen asleep after catching up with Renee over the phone and woke up to dim sunlight and plenty of fog, the sound of the gentle tapping of rain on the window caressing her ears. 

_Heaven_. 

Bell whipped up a quick and filling breakfast after getting ready for her first day. Charlie had been pleasantly surprised and ate everything on his plate with gusto. As they ate, Bell took the time to look around the room and take in every little detail. From the mismatched chairs they were sitting on, to the old yellow paint of the cabinets — that Renee had painted in an attempt to brighten up the house — and the pictures over the small fireplace. Most were of her, some of Renee and him, and others with the three of them. It made her a bit sad that he’d obviously never gotten over her mom, but she still had hope that Charlie would find someone to spend the rest of his life with. 

She cleaned up and put the plates away, pecking Charlie’s cheek as he said his goodbyes and wished her luck. He left in his cruiser to the station and Bell put on her jacket, pulling on her hood as she grabbed her bag. She locked up the house with her keys and made sure the spare was hidden under the eave. It was drizzling still and she definitely didn’t miss the crunch of gravel under her new, waterproof boots. Bell got inside her truck quickly, lest she caught a cold on her first day. 

The inside of the old truck was nice and dry, a little pine scented air freshener was placed in the cupholder, but she still caught the very faint smell of gasoline and tobacco. The engine roared to life, startling a laugh out of Bell, before idling down to a constant rumble. She was pleased to find that the radio worked, so the ride to school was accompanied by the soft murmur of music coming from the speakers. Forks High School, like many other things, was just off the highway. It looked like a collection of matching houses, with its maroon colored bricks and vast shrubbery. 

She parked swiftly and grabbed her things before making sure the truck was locked up. Bell walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges to the door labeled _Front Office_. As she pushed open the door, she had to squint to adjust to the brightness of the lights inside the building. It was warm as well, not sweltering, but certainly warmer than it was outside in the rain. She pushed down her hood and shook out her long hair with her fingers as she looked around. 

Bell walked up to the desk manned by a large, red haired woman wearing glasses the moment she spotted her. The woman looked up from the papers on her desk, flanked by a wire basket fill of more papers and a plastic pot with an aloe vera plant, “Can I help you?”

She mustered a polite smile, “Hi, good morning. I’m Isabella Swan.” 

The lady brightened at her good manners and a knowing look crossed her eyes, no doubt having heard of Chief Swan’s daughter coming back to Forks. “Of course.” She said and swiftly dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents before pulling out the ones she was looking for. She leaned forwards and pointed at the papers with a manicure finger, “I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school.” 

The woman was very nice, going through Bell’s classes for her and marked the best routes on each map with a bright yellow highlighter before handing her a slip for her teachers’ signatures that she had to return at the end of the day. “Thank you very much. Have a nice day, ma’am.” Bell flashed her a brief smile and gave her a nod. 

“You too, sweetheart. I hope you enjoy it here in Forks.” 

“Oh, I already love it here.” Bell said lightly as her goodbye, turning on her heels and heading to the parking lot to move her truck. As she drove around and searched for a good parking spot, she noted that the only flashy car there was a shiny Volvo that stood out like a beacon. Bell cut the engine as soon as she parked so she wouldn’t disturb the other students with the truck’s rumbling engine. She looked the map over one last time before carefully sliding the papers into her bag so they wouldn’t get wet. Bell got out of her truck and slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder, once again making sure her vehicle was locked before heading towards the building. 

No matter how many times she had experienced a first day of school, her heart still went a little faster. Bell went around the cafeteria, as the map had said, and found the building she was looking for by the large **3** painted on a white square on the east corner. The classroom was relatively small, filled with few people with mostly pale skin. Bell followed the others in hanging up her jacket before taking the slip to the teacher. 

He was a tall, balding man in his forties and the nameplate on his desk identified him as Mr. Mason. He looked down at the slip with disinterest until he spotted her name, gawking at her for a few seconds too long. Bell shifted on her feet and gave him a small, uncomfortable smile. Thankfully, it seemed that Charlie had done him no wrong as Mr. Mason merely signed the slip and sent her off to an empty desk at the back without telling her to introduce herself to the class. Their eyes followed her every move despite her assigned spot, but Bell ignored them in favor of reading the list Mr. Mason had handed her. It was the basics: Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner. 

She had read all of them numerous times and she briefly considered logging into her docs on her laptop and using her previous essays. Even if she wrote them again from scratch, with her knowledge, Bell knew it’d still be “cheating.” When the bell rang with a shrill sound that filled the whole building, a lanky boy with very dark hair leaned across the aisle to talk to her. 

“You’re Isabella Swan, aren’t you?” His voice was cheerful and there was a friendly smile on his face. He seemed like the type that played chess as a hobby and was overly eager to help. 

“Bell.” The brunette corrected automatically without looking up from her bag as she packed her things, pretending not to notice how the other students had turned in their seats to watch. 

“Where’s your next class?”

“Government with Jefferson in building six.” 

The boy seemed to pout for a moment, but then he smiled again, “I’m heading to building four, but I can show you the way.” He offered before adding, “I’m Eric.” 

Despite having memorized the map already, Bell gave him the smallest of smiles, “That would be great, Eric.” They got their jackets from the hooks and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. There were some students nearly stepping on her heels as they walked closed enough to catch what they were saying. As much as it annoyed her, Bell knew it was inevitable. Then, the interrogation started.

“So, this is a lot different from Phoenix, huh?”

“Mhm.” 

“It doesn’t rain much there, does it?”

“Four times if you’re lucky.” 

“Wow, what must that be like…?” He wondered out loud, looking up at the grey clouds with a pensive expression.

“Sunny.” Bell stated bluntly. 

Eric looked at her again, “You don’t look very tan.” 

“I hate the sun.” At her words, Eric grimaced sympathetically and patted her shoulder, which made her huff out a short laugh. They walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. 

Eric walked her to the door and spoke when she wrapped her fingers around the cold handle, “Well, good luck.” He smiled at her again, hopeful, “Maybe we’ll have some other classes together.” 

Bell nodded her head at him, “Maybe.” She echoed.

The rest of the morning went by fairly quickly, and the rain didn’t let up once. The only teacher that had forced her to introduce herself was Mr. Varner, the sadistic Trigonometry teacher that enjoyed watching his students squirm and quite possibly smiled as he failed them. She’d kept her cool, stating that they could call her Bell instead of Isabella, and made her way to the back of the room to escape the man’s victim selection spots. Students aside from Eric had grown bold enough to try to talk to her, introducing themselves and asking about how she was liking it in Forks. They didn’t linger for long, most likely put off by her soft voice and short, polite responses rather than the boisterous version of her they had expected.

As Bell made her way to the lunch line in the cafeteria, she was joined by a girl who sat next to her in Trigonometry and Spanish. Her name escaped Bell at the moment and she was tiny, smaller than Bell’s 5’4” stature, with a petite frame and a mane of wild dark curls that made up for their height difference. She prattled on about teachers and classes, speaking more than enough to fill in the spaces caused by Bell’s silent nods and tight lipped smiles. They sat at the end of a full table with several of the girl’s friends, who she introduced Bell to. They said their names, but Bell had been too interested in her lukewarm chicken alfredo to memorize them. 

Pushing at a bland piece of chicken with her plastic fork, Bell noticed Eric waving at her from his table and lifted her fingers in a half hearted wave. It was then that she first noticed them, sitting in their own little corner like Greek statues carved from marble. They were five, three guys and two girls. They weren’t talking or eating, their food untouched, and they certainly were the only ones not openly gawking at Bell as if she were the new addition to the zoo exhibit. It was odd, all of them were.

The biggest of the males had short, curly dark hair and was built like a brick house, all broad shoulders and pale muscle. Another was taller, leaner than his friend yet undeniably toned, with gentle honey blonde waves that fell just above his collar. The last one was less bulky, his bronze colored hair an effortlessly elegant mess. While his male companions looked like they could be in college, he seemed a bit more boyish, charmingly so. The two girls were polar opposites. The tall one had a beautiful curtain of luscious locks that fell down her back like a golden waterfall, with a body that professional models starved themselves for. The other girl was much shorter, pixie like in appearance with short black hair that pointed in every direction. 

They were all different, but the same in a sense. With their chalky pale skin, lighter than every other person living in the rainy town, including her. Their features were sharp and defined, their eyes an equally dark color despite the range in their hair colors. Those same eyes had purplish, bruise like shadows under them, as if all of them hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in ages. Bell found herself unable to look away from them, so inhumanly and breathtakingly beautiful that it made her fingers itch for her camera to immortalize the image of them sharing their silent conversation. 

Bell watched, entranced, as the short girl rose from her seat with her tray — despite not having eaten anything from it — and walked away with the grace of a model who had years of experience on the runway. She noted the elegant skip in her step as she discarded the untouched food in the trash and glided through the back door with surprising speed. Bell tilted her head, flicking her eyes back to their table to see that they were still there, unchanging. 

“Who are they?” Bell finally asked the girl next to her, the one whose name she couldn’t recall.

She hummed lightly, looking up from her food to see who Bell meant. In that same moment, the one with bronze hair looked over to their table. His dark eyes focused on Bell’s acquaintance for the fraction of a second before locking on to hers for longer. His brow twitched, which would have gone unnoticed if Bell hadn’t been paying such close attention, and he looked away quickly. It was a brief glance, nothing like interest in his expression, as if he’d simply heard his name and looked over on instinct. Bell heard the girl giggle in embarrassment, and turned to see her looking down at her tray. 

“That’s Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one that left was Alice Cullen.” The girl, Jessica was her name, murmured under her breath to keep the conversation between the two of them. “They all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife.” She added. 

Bell lifted a piece of cold pasta to her mouth, humming softly as she glanced sideways at the breathtaking boy, who gently tore into the bagel on his tray with pale, slender fingers that belonged to a pianist. His lips, a pale pink like the gentle petals of a begonia, moved quickly yet barely as he spoke to his adoptive siblings in an inaudible murmur. They were all looking away, but Bell knew for a fact that they were listening. 

“They’re beautiful.” Bell finally spoke and tore her eyes away as she set her fork down in favor of fiddling with the ring adorning her index finger. 

“Yes!” Jessica agreed with another, girlish giggle. “They’re all together, though— Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean.” Her voice was filled with the shock and disapproval that came with living in such a small, judgy town. 

“They don’t look related,” Bell noted while unscrewing the cap of her cranberry juice to take a sip. “Are they adopted?”

“They all are. Dr. Cullen is really young, in his late twenties. The Hales are brother and sister, twins.” 

Bell’s brow furrowed lightly as she sat the half empty bottle on her tray again, “Aren’t they too old to be foster children?” 

Jessica bobbed her head, “They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they’ve been with Mrs. Cullen since they be were eight. I think she’s their aunt.” 

Her expression softened and she fiddled with her ring again. “That’s very kind of them, to take in so many kids when they’re still young themselves.” 

“I guess so,” Jessica muttered almost reluctantly, which made Bell look at her directly. Her expression was midly sour and Bell immediately understood that for some reason or other, Jessica disliked Dr. Cullen and his wife. With the glances she threw at their table, Bell guessed it had to do with the jealousy she felt towards their children. “I think that Mrs. Cullen can’t have any kids, though.” She added, as if that somehow lessened the couple’s kidness. 

Bell couldn’t help but gawk at her for a moment, shocked. She blinked and closed her mouth, eyebrows raised, “That was very rude and uncalled for.” The brunette found herself scolding the girl.

Jessica recoiled in surprise, flushing in embarrassment. “Sorry.” She squeaked at the stern look on her brown eyes. There was a long moment of silence and Bell glanced away again briefly at the feeling of being watched. All of the Cullen kids were staring at her with their dark eyes and various expressions ranging from surprise to amusement. 

She looked away and finished off her juice before sighing softly. “When did they move here?” Bell finally asked, knowing she would have at least heard of them during her summers with Charlie. Specially if their adoptive father was a doctor. 

“They moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska.” Jessica replied in a softer voice than before, obviously ashamed at how Bell had reacted to her comment from before. 

A brief glance to their table informed her that the only one still looking at her was the bronze haired one. Bell tilted her head lightly in his direction, maintaining eye contact as she asked, “Which one is he?” 

Jessica let out a gasp like she was dying, clasping a hand around Bell’s arm for support. “That’s _Edward_ ,” She said the name is if it belonged to a saint. “He’s totally gorgeous, of course, but he doesn’t date so don’t waste your time pining after him. Apparently, none of the girls here are good enough for him.” She ended her description with a sniff and a roll of her eyes, clearly sour about it. Bell bit back a smile and leaned back in her seat, turning her head in time to admire the side of Edward’s gorgeous face. His cheek was lifted, as if he were smiling as well. It only served to feed her amusement and cautious curiosity.

After a few more minutes, the four of them rose from their seats in unison and dumped their trays to exit the cafeteria together. Bell was then reminded by the tallest girl at the table, Angela, that they had Biology II together in the next hour. They walked to class in silence, Angela was very shy despite her size and Bell wasn’t much of a conversationalist anyways. Angela waved briefly at her as they entered the classroom, joining her partner at a black topped lab table. Handing the teacher, Mr. Banner, the slip for him to sign, Bell noticed all of the tables were filled— well, all except for _one_. 

She immediately recognized the shock of Edward Cullen’s messy bronze hair in the opaque colors of the classroom as he sat by the only available space next to the window. Bell gave Mr. Banner a tight lipped smile as she was handed the slip and a book before being pointed to the only available seat. She was quick to cross the room, careful not to trip over the book on the walkway, just in case Mr. Banner changed his mind about not asking her to introduce herself to the class. 

Bell slipped into the seat in silence, making brief eye contact with Edward’s nearly coal black eyes as she did. She paused as she heard the small hitch of his breath, raising an eyebrow, but set her book down on the table. She didn’t look at him just yet, “You okay?” 

“...Yes.” He definitely didn’t sound okay. His reply was a bit breathless, like he’d just ran a marathon.

The brunette finally looked over, taking in his trembling frame. She watched his throat move as he swallowed hard, his eyes set firmly on his papers. The long sleeves of his white shirt were pushed up to his elbows and she took note of the muscle rippling under his pale skin as he curled his hands into tight fists on his thighs. He wasn’t nearly as slight as she’d first thought. They locked gazes again when she looked up from his toned arms, charcoal black meeting warm brown. He blinked at her almost dazedly, long lashes fluttering over his pale cheekbones, and swallowed hard again, his shivering not lessening in the least. 

“If you say so.” Bell finally hummed, ignoring how his breathing hitched again and he turned away quickly, and started taking notes despite having taken cellular anatomy five times over. As she scribbled down facts she already knew, Bell found herself wondering if Edward Cullen always behaved like that or if she had somehow broken him with her presence. He seemed to be struggling to breathe throughout the whole leasson, so when the bell rang, she quickly rose from her seat left the classroom with her things. Even if she didn’t turn to look, she felt those wide charcoal eyes follow her the whole way. 

She heard the sound of quick footsteps, too light to belong to someone as tall as the Cullen boy, and was faced with a cute boy with blond hair and a friendly smile. “Aren’t you Isabella Swan?”

“Bell.” The brunette corrected him swiftly, returning his smile with a smaller one. 

“I’m Mike.” He introduced himself with the eagerness of a puppy, blinking his baby blues at her. “Do you need help finding your next class?” 

“I’m heading to the gym next, so I think I can find it.” Bell reassured him, not wanting to take advantage of his eagerness to please and make him late to his own class.

His expression lit up, “That’s my next class, too!” He sounded thrilled over it, but it shouldn’t have been such a surprise given how small the school was. They walked together and, like Jessica, his chatter filled up the spaces her nonverbal responses supplied. Apparently, Mike had lived in California until he was ten and missed the sun terribly. He was surprised when she casually mentioned her preference to colder weather. It turned out they had English together as well. 

“So, what did you do to Edward Cullen?” Mike finally asked the question she had been expecting, curious. “I’ve never seen him act like that.” 

Bell shrugged a shoulder, “Don’t know. Maybe he wasn’t feeling well.” She offered casually. 

“He’s a weird guy,” Mike noted, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the polished floors and giving her another cute smile. “If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you.” 

He was cute, like a golden retriever puppy.

The brunette gave him a small smile and a nod before heading into the girls’ locker room. Coach Clapp, the Gym teacher, had procured a uniform for Bell after signing the slip, but hadn’t made her dress down for the day’s class. Back in Phoenix, only two years of this class had been required. In Forks, P.E. was mandatory in all four years. Bell simply leaned against the wall and watched four simultaneous volleyball games unfold, but her mind was on Edward’s strange behavior. 

When the final bell rung, she made her way to the front office to return her paperwork. The rain had finally let up, but was replaced by a strong and cold wind. There was someone else in the office by the time she’d entered, Edward’s bronze hair even messier than before, like he’d endless ran his fingers through it. Bell waited in silence as he, in his low and impossibly attractive voice, argued with the red haired woman. She caught the gist of it, he was trying to trade Biology from sixth period to any other time. Whereas other, normal, girls would’ve been hurt, Bell was more curious than ever. Had their seating arrangement really flustered him that badly?

In that moment, the door was pushed open and with it came another cold breeze that tugged at her long hair. She watched intently as the muscles of Edward’s back stiffened and he straightened, slowly turning his head to peek at her from the corner of his eye. Bell tilted her head at him and he turned away quickly like he’d done back in class. “Never mind, then,” His velvety voice spoke in a hurry. “I can see that it’s impossible. Thank you so much for your help.” 

He swiftly turned on his heel, avoiding her eyes as best as he could, and inevitably brushed past her as he disappeared out the door. With him he carried a rather enticing scent, maybe the mix of his cologne with his natural aroma, and it left her a bit dazed before being brought to the present by the woman’s voice. 

“How was your first day, dear?” She enquired motherly. 

“It was certainly eventful.” Bell smiled lightly, handing her the documents. The woman smiled back, but she didn’t know half of it. 

By the time Bell got to her truck, most of the cars had left the lot. She hopped on, welcomed by the roar of the engine and the soft murmur of the radio, and pulled away from the school. During the whole way back to Charlie’s, she could only think of Edward Cullen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bell’s scent be hitting edward different, if you know what i mean lmao


	2. Enchanting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bell turned her eyes back to Edward, only to find him already looking at her. His brow was furrowed ever so slightly, his lips pursed in thought as those beautiful eyes — gold, a strange ocher darker than butterscotch — searched her face for something she couldn’t name. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can’t stop thinking about this story for some reason

The next day was average. Not better or worse, just simply average.

It hadn’t rained yet, but the sky was covered in a dense and opaque curtain that blocked the sun. Mike sat by Bell in English and escorted her to her next class like the loyal golden retriever she associated him with, while Eric glared at him enviously. The rest of the kids at school hadn’t stopped gawking at her, but it was much less obvious than the day before. Mr. Varner had called her out on Trigonometry in hopes that she hadn’t paid attention and would get the answer wrong, but she’d quickly disappointed him with the correct answer. Bell, despite how amusing it was, would not feed her teacher’s sadistic delights. 

At lunch, she sat at a table filled with familiar faces which included Mike, Eric, Jessica and Angela. There was the fleeting hope that she would spot a head of messy bronze hair, but Bell was quickly disappointed with a glance towards the table in the corner. Only four Cullens were seated, poised like the elegant statues she had compared them to before. Bell tried to listen to her new friends’ easy chatter, she really did, but her eyes and thoughts kept straying to the empty seat. She waited to see if he would arrive, stride into the cafeteria like a runway model and take his spot next to his adoptive siblings. He did not.

Biology was equally as uneventful. 

He didn’t show up there either, his empty seat merely raising her suspicions that there was definitely something going on with Edward Cullen. As she half listened to Mr. Banner, she went over their last encounter in her mind to see if she’d done anything to scare him away. Bell had treated him the same way as everyone else, spoken little words and spared him a few glances. What had set him off? Had something else happened to him during the day?

Gym wasn’t any better either. Her spirits had lifted slightly at the chance to play volleyball, but Coach Clapp benched her when her team couldn’t keep up. After the last bell rang, Bell quickly changed out of her gym clothes and fled the locker room in quick strides, not in the mood to humor the retriever pup. The parking lot was filled with fleeting students and she wove through the sea of people to get into her red truck. Bell made sure she had her shopping list and cash for her trip to the Thriftway. 

There had been nothing but canned soup and cereal in the pantry so she’d written down everything she needed to make proper meals while Charlie handed her money from a jar labelled _Food Money_. Bell gunned the engine and pulled up into the line of cars waiting to exit, fiddling with the radio and ignoring the looks being sent in her direction. Looking up, she caught sight of the Cullen and Hale kids getting into their cars. One of them was the new Volvo that had caught her attention on the first day. With their immaculate clothes and effortlessly styled hair, they looked like they could be shooting a commercial right there in the parking lot. It was almost ridiculous. They, like the other students, stared at Bell with their dark eyes as she passed them. The pixie like one, Alice, gave her an enthusiastic wave when they locked eyes and Bell managed a short one in response, surprised. 

The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. The inside of the supermarket was warmer than it was outside, well lit, and she couldn’t hear the pitter-patter of rain hitting the roof. The trip was fairly short since she knew what she was coming for and wasted no time in getting home to unload the groceries and start dinner. Bell carefully wrapped two potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake before seasoning a pair of steaks and letting them marinade. 

She went upstairs to take a quick shower and changed into a pair of black sweats and a loose grey shirt. Bell took her math homework downstairs to do it while the steak cooked on the stove. She turned on a timer on her phone and finally went through her messages, only to find that Renee had been texting her throughout the day— each more desperate than the last.

**Mom:** I miss you already.

 **Mom:** I’m almost finished packing for Florida, but I can’t find my pink blouse. Do you know where I put it?

 **Mom:** Phil says hi.

 **Mom:** Why haven’t you texted me back?

 **Mom:** Are you ok?

 **Mom:** Isabella Swan.

 **Mom:** If I haven’t heard from you by 5:30, I’m calling Charlie.

Bell huffed out a small laugh and glanced at the clock, seeing that she had over an hour until then but decided to reply now rather than later. 

**Bells:** Relax, don’t call the cop.

 **Bells:** Everything is going great, it’s always raining. School’s not bad, just repetitive. There’s a couple of nice kids that sit with me at lunch.

 **Bells:** Your blouse is at the dry cleaners, you were supposed to pick it up on Friday.

 **Bells:** CHARLIE BOUGHT ME A TRUCK BTW

 **Bells:** It’s a bit old but it’s sturdy and I LOVE it

 **Bells:** I miss you too, but please relax ok? I love you.

Charlie came in just as she was flipping the steaks after finishing up with her homework, the meat sizzling enticingly on the skillet. He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots before sniffing the air appreciatively. Bell bit back a grin, “Welcome home, Dad.” 

“Thanks.” His dark brown eyes strayed to the cooking meat, “What’s for dinner?” Charlie asked almost eagerly.

“Steak and potatoes. They’re just about done so can you get me some plates?” Bell enquired after checking the steaks’ temperature and turning off the timer for the potatoes. 

“Yes, of course,” Charlie replied, glad to have something to help her with instead of just standing in the kitchen doing nothing. She tossed some chopped lettuce and tomatoes in a bowl, adding a sprinkle of shredded cheddar. They sat together at the table and ate in comfortable silence for a while. “So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?” Charlie finally spoke up as he served himself more salad. 

“Well,” Bell began after swallowing a piece of warm steak, “I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica and there’s a really nice boy called Mike. I sit with their friends at lunch. They seem nice.” She added as an afterthought, scooping up a forkful of buttery potatoes.

Charlie bobbed his head in a nod. “That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid— nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here.” He pointed out. 

She looked at her father thoughtfully for a moment before making a decision. “Do you know the Cullens?” Bell questioned lightly. 

“Dr. Cullen’s family? Sure. He’s a great man.”

“His kids seem nice, a little different, but nice.” Bell commented honestly, taking a slow sip of cold water as she thought of Alice and her bright smile. “They don’t seem to fit in well with the others, though.” 

To her surprise, a look of annoyance flashed across Charlie’s face as he stabbed a piece of lettuce with his fork. “People in this town,” He began in a mutter, “Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here.” His voice started getting louder as he defended the doctor and his family. “We’re lucky to have him— lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He’s an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they’re all very mature— I haven’t had one speck of trouble from any of them. That’s more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should— camping trips every other weekend… Just because they’re newcomers, people have to talk.” Charlie finished his rant, shoving the lettuce into his mouth and chewing angrily. 

It seemed like he really liked the Cullens. Bell gave him a small smile, “They’re polite, too. I think they were the only ones who didn’t stare at me the whole day.” She said before adding, “And they’re ridiculously attractive.” 

Charlie laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners, “You should see Dr. Cullen,” He suggested. “It’s a good thing he’s happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around.” Bell snorted at the thought of nurses acting like little schoolgirls with a crush. They lapsed into silence after that, finishing up their meals before Bell washed the dishes and Charlie went to the living room to watch television. She retired to her bedroom and went to sleep with the soft tapping of raindrops against the window. That night, she dreamt of onyx eyes and soft lips the color of begonias. 

The rest of the week was equally as uneventful. Nothing exciting happened in any of her classes, just a few pop quizzes and meaningless rumors floating around. Bell was only allowed to play volleyball in Gym if one of the participants was injured, so she spent a lot of time sitting on the bench. By the second day, she’d brought her camera to take pictures of anything that caught her interest. Sadly, none of those things had bronze hair and pale skin. 

Edward Cullen hadn’t come back.

Every day, Bell found herself looking around in hopes of catching sight of the youngest Cullen. And every day she was hit with a pang of disappointment when his adoptive siblings entered the cafeteria without him. She was invited to a little trip to La Push Ocean Park that Mike was putting together and found herself agreeing out of politeness rather than real desire. Maybe it was her old soul speaking, but Bell would rather take pictures of the pretty nuthatch nesting in the backyard rather than go down to the beach to interact with rowdy kids. 

That was how she spent her weekend, actually, sitting outside in a raincoat and snapping pictures of the nuthatch sitting in her nest. The rain was a light drizzle, like a fine mist sprinkling from the darkened heavens. Charlie was working at the station on both Saturday and Sunday, so there was not much to do other than clean the house and talk to Renee. 

Some of the kids at school greeted her cheerfully on Monday morning, Bell didn’t know their names but she remembered their faces so she waved back. The temperatures were getting lower by the day and it stopped raining. There wasn’t anything going on other than their pop quiz on _Wuthering Heights_ that she passed with flying colors. When they walked out of class, however, she was greeted by the sight of bits of white swirling in the air as students chattered excitedly over its appearance. The cold breeze nipped at her nose and cheeks, undoubtedly coloring them a soft pink. 

“Wow,” Mike gasped, smiling excitedly. “It’s snowing.” 

Bell was suddenly hit with a bout of nostalgia and the fact that she, as Isabella Swan, had never seen snow before. Snow danced in the light, a choreographed ballet composed by the gentle winds that tugged at her long brown hair. She stretched her arm out, letting the small flakes lay cold kisses on her fingers before melting away. She could see Mike smiling at her from the corner of her eye, a giddy little grin. 

“Well,” He began as he leaned closer to catch sight of the look on her face, “What do you think?” 

She turned to face him with snow already collecting on the crown of her head and clinging to her thick lashes, and smiled. “That I need to take a picture.” 

Mike threw his head back and laughed, oblivious to how Bell took in the sight of his content youth, his flushed cheeks and the crinkle of his eyes as he grinned. Their little moment was interrupted the second a well sized ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of his head. The blond gasped and spluttered at the cold as it melted and dripped under his collar. Bell gaped, her eyes falling on Eric as he smiled wickedly at her and bent down to make another one.

“Wait, Eric, no—” Bell backpedaled, raising her hands in a peaceful gesture. Her attempts to flee were thwarted by a very cold ball of frozen water, followed by loud laughter that drowned out her yelps. 

It was an entertaining morning, everyone talking animatedly about the first snow ball fight of the year that had broken out. It kept a small smile playing on her lips even as she headed to the cafeteria with Jessica, the binder in her hands acting as a shield against the cold projectiles. Mike jogged over then, laughing breathlessly still, with ice melting in his hair. She half listened to him and Jessica chatter about the snow as she selected a Caesar salad and a bottle of cranberry juice. 

It was after she’d sat down at their usual table, unscrewing the cap of her juice, that Bell peered over at the Cullen’s table. She’d expected to see Alice smiling happily at her from afar, not the mess of bronze hair and pale skin of Edward Cullen. In her surprise, Bell lowered the bottle from her mouth and set it down on her tray. The five of them were laughing, which would undoubtedly be one of the most beautiful sounds that she would ever hear, that was sure. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward’s hair was covered in a thin sheen of melting show that weighed down their once perfect locks. 

The girls were leaning away from Emmett as he shook his head like a dog, both of them giggling when the cold droplets rained down on them. Bell bit the inside of her cheek to restrain herself from reaching into her bag to snap a picture of such a wholesome moment and instead chose to focus on the bronze haired boy. He seemed less pale, a light dash of color flushing his skin and making him seem more alive, the shadows under his eyes less prominent. A crooked grin, so devastatingly charming that she had to wrap her fingers tightly around her fork to stop herself from finally reaching for her camera, was playing on his soft looking lips.

“Bell,” Jessica’s voice suddenly called, confused, when she took notice of Bell’s prolonged silence. “What are you staring at?” She enquired, turning a bit in her seat to follow the brunette’s gaze.

In that exact moment, Edward’s eyes flicked over— a sudden shock of gold that nearly left her breathless. He didn’t look ill, not like the last time she’d seen him in Biology, but merely curious. Maybe even intrigued. Bell looked down at her salad, pushing pieces of lettuce around with her fork. Jessica wrapped her fingers around Bell’s forearm, leaning closer to giggle in her ear.

“Edward Cullen is _staring_ at you.” The tiny girl whispered, sounding excited. 

“Still?” Bell hummed nonchalantly, snuffing out the urge to look at him again. 

“Uh huh,” Jessica giggled again, a bright smile brightening her features. “The Cullens usually don’t notice anybody, but he’s looking _straight at you_.” 

Bell swallowed a forkful of salad and gave her friend a sideways glance. “Alice waves at me every chance she gets, so I _think_ she notices me.” She commented and swore she could hear Edward laugh over the sound of Jessica’s overdramatic choking. Mike interrupted her theatrics, he was planning an epic snow fight in the parking lot after school and wanted them to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically, but Bell was sure that if the blond suggested they jump off a cliff, the shorter girl would still agree in a heartbeat. She was clearly smitten.

During the rest of the lunch hour, Bell could feel the weight of Edward’s odd eyes on her, but she never lifted her own to meet them. She avoided walking too close to Mike as they headed to class since he was the target for most of the frozen projectiles, but found her decision otiose when everyone around her groaned in near unison at the sight of water replacing the white flakes. The rainwater washed away the once perfect layer of snow in clear, icy ribbons that ran down the side of the walkway. Mike complained about it all the way to building four. 

Mr. Banner was distributing one microscope and a box of slides to each table, and Bell found it right to ignore the way he stopped what he was doing to watch her walk by with a mildly flustered expression on his face. Her soul might have been older than him more than a few times over, but Isabella Swan was a teenager. Bell was sure he’d get over that little infatuation of his soon enough. Her table was empty when she took her seat and she idly wondered if Edward was going to show, drawing little birds on the edges of the white pages of her notebook as she waited for class to start. 

Bell didn’t look up from where she was shading a small hummingbird’s wing, even after having clearly heard the chair next to her being moved as Edward Cullen took a seat. “Hello,” His quiet, musical voice, however, was what caused her to stop. 

She lifted her eyes from the page, surprised that he was speaking to her. His chair was pushed further away from hers than last time, but it was angled in her direction. His hair was dripping wet and disheveled, but Bell found that he still looked ridiculously dazzling. There was a friendly expression on his stunning face, his pretty lips pulled into a small smile.

“My name is Edward Cullen,” He continued softly, as if the whole school didn’t already murmur his name more than once on a daily basis, “I didn’t have the chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bell Swan.” He didn’t look ill, nor did he look flustered like last time. There wasn’t a hint of pink on his pale cheekbones and those strangely colored eyes stared at her unwaveringly. 

A small, barely there smile containing playfulness curled at her lips, “You remembered my nickname. I thought you Cullen kids didn’t notice anyone, much less bother to remember them.” Bell murmured, a teasing lilt to her voice that let him know she was merely jesting.

He laughed quietly, an enchanting sound. “Well,” Edward began, looking at her through his long lashes, “It’s hard to forget someone when they defend your adoptive mother so fervently.” He pointed out.

“Ah,” Bell let out, absentmindedly toying with her mechanical pencil. “You heard about that.”

Edward nodded his head and a wet lock of darkened bronze stuck to his temple, Bell’s fingers itching to push it away for some strange reason even she couldn’t fathom. “I wanted to thank you, actually. No one’s ever done that before.” He added after a moment. 

Bell pursed her lips and shook her head. “No, I just don’t think anyone has the right to deem someone lesser just because of their inability to do something. Especially something as painful as not being able to conceive.” She explained quietly, earnestly. If there was something she despised more than heat, it was that. 

Surprise flashed over Edward’s features, his pink lips parting to gape at her. Bell bit back a grin and looked forwards just as Mr. Banner began explaining the day’s task. The slides in the box were out of order and together, as lab partners, she and Edward had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. Using their textbooks was prohibited and Mr. Banner would be coming around to see who had it right in twenty minutes or so. An easy feat. 

“Ladies first, partner?” Edward asked playfully, giving her that charmingly crooked grin of his. She found it contagious, the corners of her own lips tipping upwards.

“Thanks, partner.” Bell hummed in reply, swiftly snapping the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusting it to the 40X objective with decades of practice. She looked at it for only a moment, “Prophase.” She was showing off, just a little.

“Do you mind if I look?” Edward asked, catching her hand with his when she’d started removing the slide. Bell jumped slightly, startled by both his strangely cold touch and the sudden electric current jostling up her arm. “I’m sorry,” He muttered, looking a bit flustered again as he reached for the microscope and examined the slide for an even shorter time. “Prophase.” Edward agreed, writing it down on their worksheet in an elegant cursive. She watched him the entire time, intrigued. 

That was cute.

Endearingly so. 

He was quick to switch the first slide for the second, peering into the microscope for a brief moment. “Anaphase.” Edward murmured, jotting it down as he spoke.

“Do you mind if I look?” Bell echoed his words from before, tilting her head lightly to admire the smile that tugged at his lips. He nudged it in her direction and Bell smiled lightly as she looked through the eyepiece for a second. “Anaphase.” She imitated him, relishing in his cute little grin. “Next one?” Edward handed the slide over, careful not to let their fingers touch. Ah, her heart. “Interphase.” Bell said, passing him the microscope before he could ask.

Edward took a swift peek and wrote it down before the cycle began anew. With that, they had finished their assignment with more than enough time to spare. Bell looked around the classroom and spotted Mike comparing two slides again and again with his lab partner, while another pair of girls had their textbook open under their table. Everyone seemed to be struggling. 

Finding nothing interesting to do, Bell turned her eyes back to Edward, only to find him already looking at her. His brow was furrowed ever so slightly, his lips pursed in thought as those beautiful eyes — gold, a strange ocher darker than butterscotch — searched her face for something she couldn’t name. 

“Do you wear contacts?” Bell asked curiously, resting her cheek on her fist as she leaned on the table.

He blinked at her, likely puzzled by her sudden question. “No,” Edward murmured.

Bell hummed, admiring the color of his eyes for a moment longer despite the flustered look returning to his face. “They’re very beautiful.” She said truthfully, unable to help herself. The flat black from before had been striking, standing out from the pale parlor of his skin and the shock of his bronze hair, but this new shade was equally as entrancing. She just wondered what caused the change. 

Edward looked down, mumbling a soft “Thank you” and curling into himself slightly, his hands shaking as he brought them close to himself. Bell bit the inside of her cheek when she noticed, wondering if she’d made him uncomfortable again, and went back to finishing the hummingbird on her notebook.

Mr. Banner came over to their table before the twenty minutes were done, most likely to see why they weren’t working. He took their worksheet after eyeing their completed lab, checking the answers written on the paper in Edward’s elegant writing. “So, Edward,” Mr. Banner began, looking over at the younger male in something like annoyance, “Didn’t you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?” 

“Bell.” Edward corrected automatically before she could and she hid her smile behind a loose fist, “And, actually, she identified them all.” 

The Biology teacher looked at her next, the skeptical expression on his face not dampening her amusement in the slightest. “Have you done this lab before?” He questioned.

“Not with onion root.” Bell admitted, hooking her thumb under her chin and resting her knuckles under her lips. 

“Whitefish blastula?” Mr. Banner guessed.

“Mhm.”

“Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Well,” The teacher began after a moment, “I guess it’s a good thing you two are lab partners then.” He said and mumbled something under his breath that she couldn’t quite catch as he walked away. Bell knew it was better not to dwell in it.

Edward turned to her again, “It’s too bad about the snow, isn’t it?” He asked casually. It was obvious he was trying to make small talk, and Bell decided to humor him. 

“Not really.” Bell answered, playing with the ring on her index finger. “It was beautiful, but I’d rather not get caught up in Mike Newton’s snowball fights.” She chuckled softly. 

“You like the cold.” It wasn’t a question, more like an observation.

She nodded her head and tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear, “And the rain.” 

“You must really like Forks then.” Edward mused.

Her eyes darted to the window to smile at the raindrops tapping against the glass. “You have no idea.” She was keenly aware of the way he looked at her face, fascinated, as if he were taking in every minute detail about her. 

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, “Why did you move here?” Edward asked, nearly breathless— not unlike the first time he’d spoken to her. 

“My mother got remarried last September.” Bell murmured, choosing not to mention it.

A kind, sympathetic expression came across his face. “Do you not like him?” Edward asked softly, like it was a sensitive subject.

“He’s alright,” Bell reassured, “A bit young, but he’s a good man.” 

“Why didn’t you stay with them?” 

“He plays baseball for a living, so he travels a lot.” 

Edward smiled, curious, “Have I heard of him?”

“Mm, probably not.” Bell gave him a small grin, “He’s not the best, strictly minor league, but he still moves around a lot.” She explained.

“And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him.” Edward guessed rather than asked. He probably thought he had her figured out. 

She bit back another amused smile, “I sent myself, actually.” Bell corrected him.

His eyebrows knitted together. “I don’t understand,” Edward confessed, sounding terribly frustrated. The quiet laugh that escaped her lips was inevitable and Edward shivered at the sound, blinking rapidly as if to hide the way his pupils dilated.

_Oh?_

“She wanted to stay with me in Phoenix, but we were both unhappy. She missed him and I hated it there.” Bell continued, blunt as ever, “So, you could say I came here in search of happiness.” 

“Are you?” Edward enquired. 

Bell blinked at him, “Am I what?” 

“Happy.” 

She stared in silence, taking in everything about him— his beautiful eyes framed by long lashes that brushed over the smooth surface of his high cheekbones, the damp bronze locks that fell messily over his forehead, the sharp edge of his jaw and his straight nose that led to the soft curve of his pale pink lips. And slowly, a genuine smile crossed her lips and brightened her face. 

“Yes,” Bell whispered, like it was their own little secret, “I think I am.” 

Edward swallowed hard again, his lashes fluttering as he looked down at the table, “Good.” 

Mr. Banner called for class order then, popping their little bubble of quiet comfort. Bell pretended to be attentive as Mr. Banner illustrated, with the transparencies on the overhead projector, what they’d seen through the microscope. In all honesty, all she could think about was how endearingly strange Edward Cullen was. There was always at least one person who stuck out in each of her lives, but none like him. He’d caught her undivided attention on the first day. Maybe it was the color of his eyes, or the way he grew flustered when she complimented him, or perhaps the way he spoke so eloquently… 

Whatever it was, Bell wanted _more_.

But she decided she’d teased him enough for one day, so when the bell rang, Bell rose from her seat and gave him a small nod before leaving the classroom with the same swiftness as last Monday. Mike skipped to her side and offered to carry her books with the eagerness of a puppy. 

“That was awful,” He groaned. “They all looked exactly the same. You’re lucky you had Cullen as your partner.” Mike continued jokingly, mildly envious.

“I didn’t have a problem with it, actually.” Bell confessed, shrugging a shoulder. “I used to take AP Biology back in Phoenix.” She pointed out and his smile dropped.

Mike groaned again, “That’s even worse, that means I’m the dumb one…” Bell couldn’t help but laugh at his antics, making him perk up. “Hey, Cullen seemed friendlier today.” He commented casually, but she knew it was anything but.

“Mhm.” Bell hummed indifferently as they got to the gym, “I guess he was feeling better today.”

Even if she couldn’t play volleyball that day either, nothing seemed to be able to dampen her good mood. The rain was a misty drizzle when Bell made it to the parking lot. She hopped into her truck and gunned the engine, pushing down her hood to run her fingers through her hair as she turned on the heater. Bell looked up, always parked in reverse, to check if there was anyone around. Exactly three cars down, standing next to his shiny Volvo, Edward Cullen was having what seemed to be a deep conversation with his shortest sister. 

Alice looked away from him in favor of smiling brightly and waving at Bell like she always did. Edward followed her eyes, looking like a deer in headlights with his wide eyes and parted lips. Bell smiled, amused, and wiggled her fingers at them. He quickly looked down, almost painfully flustered as he hissed something at Alice in an attempt to make her stop waving, his sister giggling all the while. Bell laughed out loud and pulled away from the parking lot. 

These Cullen kids were great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bell’s gonna accidentally kill edward one of this days smh
> 
> lunaeti.tumblr.com


	3. Supernatural

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She looked away from the dark blue van that skid across the slippery road, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, and locked eyes with Edward Cullen. He was standing exactly four cars away, a horrified expression on his beautiful face. When she blinked, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one’s shorter than the other two, but there’s more interactions between edward and bell— not to mention carlisle has arrived! 
> 
> also, the feedback i’ve been getting is INSANE! i’m having so much fun, you guys are amazing 😭💖

When Bell opened her eyes the next morning, she knew something was different— she could see it in the light streaming through the gaps of the curtains. She rose from the bed and pushed the curtain to the side, peeking out the window. Bell gasped softly at the fine layer of snow that covered the whole yard, dusting over her truck and the trees like powdered sugar. The rainwater from the day before had frozen— coating the needles on the branches in delicate, gorgeous patterns while the driveway was glossy with a thin sheet of ice.

Charlie had already left for work by the time she was walking down the stairs to eat some breakfast, consisting of a bowl of hot oatmeal and fresh strawberries. Bell took a few minutes to snap some pictures of the backyard with her camera, taking advantage of the gentle lighting. She’d send those to Renee after school. Bell found herself wondering if Edward would let her take pictures of him, the color of his bronze hair and golden eyes would contrast beautifully against the pure white of the freshly fallen snow. Would he smile bashfully at his feet, flustered by the attention, or would he give her another of his charming crooked grins? 

The mere idea of it made her eager to get to school, carefully tucking her camera in her bag within its protective case and walking to her truck. The grip of her boots kept her stable on the slippery ice and she made it safely to the cozy inside of her vehicle. Driving to school, she passed the time comparing Edward Cullen to the boys that constantly hovered around her. The difference between the three of them was glaringly obvious. Whereas Mike and Eric were rowdy and eager, visibly competing for her attention, Edward was much more subtle— with his velvety voice and coy stares from under his long lashes — and carried himself with the impossibly elegant grace that he and his adoptive siblings shared.

Bell arrived at the parking lot with no problems despite the layers of frozen water on the asphalt. She had her suspicions as to why, and got out of her truck with her phone in hand. The thin chains, crisscrossed in diamond shapes around her wheels, gleamed back at her in the morning light. She smiled softly to herself, sending a quick text to Charlie. Apparently he’d gotten up earlier than he usually did, just to put the snow chains on her truck. His unspoken concern made warmth spread throughout her body, all the way to her toes. He probably hadn’t said anything about it because he’d been too embarrassed.

She was standing next to her truck, pocketing her phone after putting it on silent, when she heard it.

A high pitched screech that became louder by the second, painfully familiar. Bell looked up from her bag, both annoyed and morbidly amused that a _car_ was going to end her life again. She looked away from the dark blue van that skid across the slippery road, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, and locked eyes with Edward Cullen. He was standing exactly four cars away, a horrified expression on his beautiful face. When she blinked, he was gone.

Something collided with her and Bell jerked, not expecting anything coming from the opposite side of the van, smacking the back of her head against the side of the truck before being pinned to the ground as the van curled around the front of it. The van was still moving, though, seemingly determined to crush her one way or another. There was a hissed curse by her ear — spoken by a voice she would never forget — and a pair of pale hands with the long, slender fingers of a pianist shot out to slam against the side of the van. The metal groaned and dented under his fingertips, and those same hands moved so quickly that they became a blur as they lifted up the vehicle and moved her legs out of the way.

The loud, metallic thud and popping of glass reached her ears as the van settled right where her legs had been. Bell stared, shocked, at the van and let out a long exhale that turned to mist in the cold air. Screaming broke out, followed by loud wails and calls of her name. Cold fingers tucked her hair behind her ears and cupped her face, turning it to face a deeply concerned golden gaze. His eyes were still wide, mildly frantic as they darted around her face.

“...Bell?” Edward called her name again and it finally registered, making her blink at him. “Are you alright?” He asked, his soft hands trembling against her skin. 

“Yes.” Bell murmured, swallowing thickly, “I’m fine.” She said after seeing the furrow in his brow, the pad of his thumb brushing over her cheekbone. 

“You hit your head.” He sounded pained as he said it, like it was his fault. 

She reached up, curling her much warmer fingers around his slender wrists as she stared into his beautiful eyes. “I’m fine.” Bell whispered gently, reassuringly. “You stopped it.” 

His fingers twitched against her skin and she saw him stop breathing. Edward pulled his hands away from her as if she’d burned him and stared at her with a strange detached weariness. “I just pulled you away. I was right next to you.” He said with an uncharacteristic amount of seriousness. 

Bell only stared in silence. 

Edward fretted over her again when she sat up, hovering like a worried and overprotective mother. The crowd of students flocked around them, some with tears falling from their eyes as they shouted at them and the others.

“Stay right there!”

“Are you okay?!”

“Don’t move!”

“Get Tyler out of the van!”

It was all a blur, really. Bell’s mind kept going back to the moment Edward disappeared from her sight and pushed her down less than a second later, to the way strong metal gave away under his seemingly delicate digits. She knew better than to question him right away, seeing the way he shielded her protectively from the flock of concerned students until the ambulance arrived. The van was lifted away by six EMTs and two teachers — Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp — so they could bring the stretchers in. Edward refused his and automatically told them she’d hit her head against the side of the truck and could have a concussion before she could even think of refusing her own stretcher. 

Bell’s half hearted protests were brushed away as the EMTs put a neck brace on her and started loading her into the back of the ambulance as Edward got in front. To make matters worse, and possibly more chaotic, the one and only Chief Swan arrived at the scene with his iconic cruiser. He ran over with a concerned expression and yelled her name in panic when he caught sight of her inside the ambulance. 

“I’m fine, really, Dad.” Bell tried reassuring him, the bottom of her chin bumping against the neck brace as she spoke. That probably didn’t help her case.

Charlie turned to the closest EMT to get a second opinion. Bell threw an arm over her eyes and let out a long, exhausted sigh as they finally closed the doors and drove off. While she was relieved she got to live a little longer as Isabella Swan, she was terribly confused. The accident kept replay in her mind’s eye on a loop, the brunette trying to come up with a quick explanation of what had occurred. She found none, unfortunately. At least not rational ones.

Charlie’s cruiser escorted them all the way to the county hospital, where she was unloaded and rushed to an emergency room with haste while Edward glided down the hall and disappeared around the corner. They put Bell on one of the lined up beds separated by tall pastel patterned curtains. A sweet looking nurse was quick to put a pressure cuff on her arm and check her temperature with an infrared thermometer, jotting down the numbers and flashing her a smile before leaving the room.

Bell unfastened the velcro on the neck brace with quick fingers and tossed it to the side, huffing. There was a sudden commotion and a flurry of blue scrubs as nurses brought in another stretcher to the bed next to her. Tyler Crowley, a nice kid from her Government class, looked a hundred times worse than how she felt. Despite the bloodstained bandages wrapped around his head, Tyler looked at her with an anxious expression.

“Bell, I’m _so_ sorry!” He babbled, apologizing fervently. 

She waved a dismissive hand and gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, don’t worry about it. Are you okay?” Bell asked, concerned. The nurses had started unwinding his stained bandages, exposing a myriad of nasty looking cuts scattered over his forehead and left cheek.

He ignored her words. “I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast— I hit the ice wrong…” Tyler winced as a nurse dabbed at his cuts with antiseptic. 

“Tyler, don’t worry about it.” Bell repeated, much more sternly this time. “You missed me.”

“How did you get out of the way so quickly? You were _right there_ , and then you weren’t…” 

Bell pushed her damp hair out of her face, “Edward pulled me away.” She explained tersely. 

A confused expression flashed across his face, “Who?” Tyler asked.

“Edward Cullen.” Bell elaborated calmly. “He was close to me and pulled me away just in time.” She continued, watching him blink at her in surprise.

“Cullen? I didn’t see him… wow, it was just all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?”

“Yeah,” She nodded her head, recalling the dented metal, “He’s around here somewhere…” 

A couple of nurses wheeled her away after that to get an X-ray. They found nothing wrong, of course, just like she’d told them a hundred times before. Now all she had to do was wait for a doctor to see her and then she would be able to go home. At one point, Bell had grown so tired from Tyler’s apologies that she blocked him out and threw an arm over her eyes again. 

_“Bellamy! Oh my god! Bellamy!”_

_“Someone call 911!”_

_“There’s so much blood!”_

_“Bellamy, keep your eyes open! Where’s the fucking ambulance?!”_

_“Bellamy…!”_

“Is she sleeping?” Edward’s musical voice asked softly and Bell moved her arm away, opening her eyes to see him standing at the foot of her bed. Bell pursed her lips and gave him a peace sign, feeling a bit better when his lips curled into a small smile. 

“Hey, Edward, I’m really sorry—” Tyler began, desperate.

Edward lifted a hand to stop him, flashing him a smile. “No blood, no foul.” He told him, moving to sit on the edge of her bed. Bell curled her legs to give him more space, toying with a portion of the white sheets. “So, what’s the verdict, partner?” Edward asked playfully, less tense now that she was out of danger. 

“Oh, it’s _horrible_ , partner.” Bell played along, biting back a grin as she placed the back of her hand against her forehead like a damsel in distress. “I’m dying as we speak!”

“And what a dark place the world will be without Bell Swan.” Edward grinned, but she had a feeling he was being truthful. 

Bell chuckled, letting her arm fall across her stomach, “Other than the inevitable threat of a natural death, there’s nothing really wrong with me. I just have to wait for the doc.” She continued before looking him over. His bronze hair was stylishly tousled, like always, and his clothes were perfectly immaculate as if he’d just come back from a photoshoot. But, she still asked, “You okay, partner?”

The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile, “Perfectly fine now, partner.” 

A doctor walked around the corner just then, and Bell blinked in surprise. The man was beautiful in the same way Edward was, in a supernaturally perfect way. He was young, looking like he was nearing his mid twenties, with collar length blonde hair that was pushed away from his face. There were bruise like shadows under his eyes, standing out against his pale skin and making him look tired, but even then he looked like he belonged to the cast of _Grey’s Anatomy_ rather than a hospital in a small town like Forks. From his appearance alone, Bell knew for a fact that she was staring at Carlisle Cullen.

“So, Miss Swan,” He began in a remarkably appealing voice, “How are you feeling?” 

The brunette gave him a smile, “Perfectly fine now, Doc.” Bell replied, sending Edward a wink. He looked down, a bashful smile playing on his lips. 

Dr. Cullen looked at his adoptive son with a warm smile, something like relief in his dark eyes, and walked over to the lightboard on the wall over her head to look at her X-rays. “These look good.” He said after a moment of observing them, “Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard.” Dr. Cullen asked, turning to face her again. 

“It’s fine, he’s exaggerating.” Bell pointed out while sitting up, sending the youngest Cullen a look, but didn’t protest as the doctor’s icy fingers probed lightly along her skull. She winced when he reached the back of her head and he stopped, Edward watching them like a hawk.

“Tender?” 

“Not too bad.” Bell told the young doctor, “I’ve had worse.” 

The blond smiled back at her, flashing his pearly whites, “Well, your father is in the waiting room. You can go with him now, but don’t hesitate to come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all.” Dr. Cullen said before adding, “Take it easy for today. No school.” 

Bell looked over at Edward, “Does _he_ get to go back to school?” 

Edward shrugged his shoulders with a small grin, “ _Someone_ has to spread the good news that you survived.” He pointed out. 

“Actually,” His adoptive father corrected and pointed behind himself, “Most of the school seems to be in the waiting room.” 

“Mm, _great_.” Bell sighed, letting her head hang forwards tiredly. 

Dr. Cullen raised his eyebrows at her, “Do you want to stay?” He asked softly, genuine concern in his eyes.

Bell shook her head and Edward stood to let her stand up from the bed. She lifted a foot to slide it into her boots and Edward’s hands darted out to stable her. “I’m fine.” She assured him again, but he still looked unsure as he loosely held on to her sleeves. 

“You can take some Tylenol for the pain.” Dr. Cullen commented lightly as he took her chart into his hands. “You were extremely lucky, Miss Swan.” He smiled warmly again, signing her papers with a flourish. 

“Lucky Edward was there to pull me away.” Bell nodded, unable to help herself. Edward let go of her sleeves, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat. 

“Oh, well, yes,” Dr. Cullen agreed, suddenly very interested in her papers. He quickly dropped the subject and walked over to Tyler’s bed. He obviously knew his son wasn’t anywhere near her during the accident. 

Bell moved closer to Edward, “Can we talk?” She asked him softly. 

He avoided her eyes, pink lips pressed together in a firm line. “Your father is waiting for you.” Edward shot back. 

She bit the inside of her cheek, glancing at Dr. Cullen’s back before looking back at him. “Please?” Bell whispered and his mouth twitched. 

Edward let out a sharp sigh and nodded towards the exit before walking off with her on his heels. As soon as they rounded the corner to an empty hallway, he turned on his heels to face her. “What?” He asked in a clipped tone. 

“Are you going to explain?” Bell asked patiently, unbothered as she stared up at him. 

“There’s _nothing_ to explain.” He said quickly, stern with a serious look in his eye that darkened the golden hue. “I pulled you away from the van, that’s it.” 

Bell rubbed the side of her face and pushed her hair back. “I saw you, Edward. You were standing _four_ cars away, you left a _dent_ on the van and you _lifted_ it.” She pointed out in a serious whisper. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Bell. I was standing next to you and you hit your head when I pulled you away.” Edward argued, but it sounded like a line perfectly delivered by a skilled actor. He didn’t actually believe anything he was saying, but he wanted her to.

She closed her eyes for a moment, a small smile tugging at her mouth, “I’m not going to tell anyone.” 

Surprise flitted across his face. “Then why does it matter?” Edward sounded both confused and exasperated.

“I’d like to know the truth if I’m going to be lying for you.” Bell answered, shifting her weight from one foot to another. “You don’t have to tell me right now, though. Just, _please_ , don’t lie to me.” 

His expression softened considerably and the firm frown on his lips started looking more like a pout. “Can’t you just thank me and get over it?” Edward asked weakly, looking at her through his lashes. 

“Mm, _no_.” Bella fluttered her lashes with a small grin, effortlessly disarming him. Edward stared, his eyes flitting from her eyes to her lips and back again before he turned his head away suddenly, sighing sharply. He was flustered again. 

“What if I want you to figure it out by yourself?” He asked after a moment of silence, avoiding her knowing gaze.

Bella shrugged her shoulders, “Then wish me luck, I guess,” She replied. “Goodbye, partner.” Bell told him in a softer voice, brushing past him to walk out the exit at the end of the hallway. The waiting room was full of familiar faces, looking small and cramped with so many people inside.

“Bells,” Charlie called as he rushed over.

“There’s nothing wrong with me.” Bell said, loud enough for her friends to hear. They sighed and murmured in relief. She then turned back to Charlie, “Dr. Cullen said everything was in order and that I could go home.” She continued.

He sighed quietly in relief, giving his only daughter a small smile, “Let’s get going then.” 

Bell gave her friends a short wave as they left the building. The ride home was quiet as she mulled over Edward’s words, Charlie sending her brief glances throughout the whole thing— he was trying to tell her something, but didn’t know how. 

Her father finally spoke up when they arrived. “You’ll need to call Renee,” Charlie said guiltily, his head hung as he closed his door. 

She tapped her fingers on the hood of the cruiser, grimacing. “She must be hysterical.” 

“Sorry,” Charlie mumbled.

“Don’t be, Dad,” Bell reassured him, following him into the house. “It’s better that she knows right away rather than later.” 

It took thirty minutes and countless _I’m fine_ ’s before Renee could calm down. She begged Bell to come home, forgetting that home was currently empty in her hysteria. Bell let her down gently, telling her how much she enjoyed being in Forks and that accidents happened wherever and whenever. That’s just the way life is, a big box of mysteries. Bell ended up heading to bed early after a quick shower when she noticed how worried Charlie was despite her words. She drank some Tylenol and plopped down on her bed.

Drifting off, Bell could’ve sworn she felt cold fingers caress her cheek and trail down the column of her throat to run along her collarbone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let the pining commence
> 
> lunaeti.tumblr.com


	4. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward started avoiding her, never speaking when it wasn’t an obligation, but she never stopped greeting him. He would avoid her eyes during Biology, his hands trembling incessantly and curling into tight fists on his lap. He sat with his siblings in silence, looking miserable as he poked at his lunch. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof 3,099 words, still not the same length as the first two, but i wanted to give y’all something while i work on the rest. 
> 
> anyways, thanks to everyone for reading and leaving kudos & comments, they make my day!!

Bell dreamt of petal like lips pressing featherlight kisses over the surface of her skin. They brushed over her cheekbones with the tenderness of a long time lover and pressed against the corner of her lips, long lashes ghosting over her cheek. When she opened her eyes and turned her face, the curtains were fluttering back into place. She wasn’t all sure they were dreams, but she had no way to prove it. 

The month following the accident was disappointingly uneventful, the snow washed away for good. She’d been the center of attention during the first week. Tyler Crowley was persistent despite her protests, following her around and eagerly helping her with anything he could. He joined her growing group of friends and started sitting at their table during lunch. Bell gave up on trying to push him away after seeing the happy expression on his face as he chattered easily with Mike and Eric. 

She kept her promise to Edward, repeating their lie over and over again. Everyone denied having seen him next to her until the very moment the van pulled away, but she persisted. Eventually, they stopped asking. Edward started avoiding her, never speaking when it wasn’t an obligation, but she never stopped greeting him. He would avoid her eyes during Biology, his hands trembling incessantly and curling into tight fists on his lap. He sat with his siblings in silence, looking miserable as he poked at his lunch. 

Bell wondered why he didn’t give up and speak to her.

Just _once_ at least.

She watched him constantly, sadness and longing weighing down her heart. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, like he’d tugged and pulled at it, and the shadows under his eyes grew with each day. Mike was visibly pleased by their little conflict, taking it upon himself to try and _console_ her. He followed her like a dog who hadn’t seen their owner in a long time, talking about everything and nothing at all. Bell knew he didn’t mean any wrong by it, he was just a kid, but she was still annoyed. 

The trip to the beach was still pending, which Mike reminded them of incessantly. The rain continued heavily as the days turned into weeks. Bell was made aware of another event that was looming over the horizon, the girl’s choice spring dance was in two weeks and Jessica had pulled her aside to ask for permission to invite Mike. 

“Are you _sure_ you don’t mind? You weren’t going to ask him?” Jessica persisted, looking up at her nervously. 

“Jessica,” Bell began with a small smile, “It’s alright. I’m not going to the dance anyways.” She added. It was the truth, school dances stopped being fun after the fifties. 

“Why not? It’ll be fun.” It was a half hearted attempt, but she appreciated it all the same. 

Bell patted her arm gently, “You go have fun with Mike.” 

The next day, she was surprised to find that Jessica wasn’t her usual self. She was uncharacteristically silent as she walked by Bell’s side between classes and Bell suspected Mike’s answer hadn’t been a _yes_. Jessica sat as far as she could from Mike at their lunch table to chat with Eric. The blond was quiet.

He finally spoke up when they got to Biology, perched on her desk and ignoring Edward’s silent presence. “So,” Mike began in a casual tone as he looked away, “Jessica asked me to the spring dance.”

Bell gave him a smile, “That’s great.” She told him with quiet enthusiasm. “You’ll have lots of fun together, I’m sure.” She added, reaching out to pat his arm like she’d done with Jessica. 

Mike’s expression faltered, obviously expecting her to be jealous or ask him herself. “I told her I would think about it.” He continued, and Bell paused.

Her brow furrowed and she bit at the inside of her cheek, staring at him. “Why would you do that?” Bell asked, genuinely curious. Jessica was much more approachable than she was, she was talkative and enjoyed the same things as he did. Why was he rejecting Jessica?

His cheeks grew flushed, a dark pink blooming over his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose, and he looked down at his lap. “I was hoping you would ask me…” Mike trailed off softly.

“Oh, Mike…” Bell started, sighing tiredly and pushing her hair away from her face. She saw Edward pause from the corner of her eye, his head turning slightly to peek them as his jaw clenched and his hands curled into tight fists. “Mike, you should tell her yes.” She advised, toying with her ring. 

“Did you already ask someone?” The blond asked, his hurt eyes flickering over to Edward for a brief second. 

Bell shook her head, “No. I won’t be going to the dance.” She replied.

Mike stared at her in confusion, “Why not?”

“I’ll be out of town that Saturday.” She explained vaguely. “But you shouldn’t keep Jessica waiting much longer, it’s rude. Give her an answer.” Bell pressed, a chastising tone to her voice. 

“You’re right,” He mumbled and promptly turned, heading back to his seat without another word. Bell watched him go, sympathetic, before facing the one and only Edward Cullen. His jaw was no longer clenched, his brow smoothed out as he stared at her with curious onyx eyes. Bell stared back at him, her heart heavy as she took in the dark shadows under his eyes and the extra paleness of his skin. For a moment, Edward looked like he was going to say something, but the teacher interrupted him with the call of his name.

“The Krebs Cycle,” Edward answered swiftly, reluctantly turning to look at Mr. Banner. Bell swallowed and looked down at the small drawings on the corners of her papers. She couldn’t concentrate on the lesson during the rest of the hour, sparing brief glances at Edward and jotting down absentminded notes. Finally, when the bell rang and she was picking up her things, he spoke. “Hello.”

It was so soft that she thought she had imagined it, but when she turned to look at him, he was staring back almost timidly. “You’re talking to me again, huh?” Bell asked teasingly, a relieved smile plastered on her lips as she sat back down. 

Edward caught his bottom lip between his pearly white teeth and looked down at his fingers. “I’m sorry.” He murmured, sounding both pained and sincere, “That was very rude of me. I thought it would be better this way…” 

Bell moved closer, tilting her head to look at him better, “What do you mean, Edward?” She asked softly. 

“It would be better if we weren’t friends.” 

“Maybe.” He looked at her, hurt clear in his dark gaze, but she continued, “But I don’t really care about that. I’d love to be your friend, Edward.” Bell picked up her things, slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder and standing up to head to her next class. He looked astonished, his pink lips parted as he watched her. 

“Bell…” She stopped, turning slightly at the call of her name. Edward swallowed harshly, his long lashes fluttering over his cheekbones, “I’d love that, too.” 

Needless to say, a smile stayed plastered on her lips during the rest of her Gym class. They’d moved on to basketball and Coach Clapp allowed her to play. Her team was constantly passing her the ball, which was alright even if she did end up getting elbowed harshly on the ribs. Not even the ugly purple bruises forming on her side could wipe away the happy look on her face as she walked into the parking lot. 

Her truck had suffered minimal damage from the accident, she’d only needed to replace the front lights and there was nothing wrong with the washed out red paint. Tyler’s parents, however, had to sell their van for parts. Walking over to Ol’ Red, she was disappointed to find that the figure leaning against it was not Edward. Eric turned to face her with a grin. 

“Hi, Bell.” Eric greeted her happily, a subtle nervousness underlying his words. 

“Hey, Eric,” Bell said back as she unlocked her door and put her bag inside. “What’s up?” 

“I was just wondering…” His tongue darted out to wet his lips, his eyes darting around to avoid hers, “Would you go to the spring dance with me?” Eric asked, his words coming out in one rush of air. 

Bell blinked at him in surprise before raising an eyebrow, “I thought it was girl’s choice.” She commented lightly. 

“Well, yeah,” Eric said awkwardly, shuffling his feet.

She smiled at his antics, “Thank you for asking me, but I’ll be in Seattle that day.” Bell said apologetically. 

“ _Oh_.” He let out after a moment, looking dejected. “Maybe next time, then…?” Eric trailed off hopefully. 

“Maybe.” Bell echoed in a murmur. Eric looked like he was going to say something else until he caught sight of something, his face growing pale before he speedily walked off. “Bye, I guess…” Bell muttered, confused, and turned to see what had scared him off. Edward was staring after Eric with hard charcoal eyes, his brow furrowed and jaw clenched. His expression softened considerably when they locked eyes and he gave her a nod before getting inside his car.

Bell pulled up behind his shiny Volvo, but he’d stopped to wait for his adoptive siblings. Not in a rush, Bell fiddled with the radio until she found her favorite station. A short knock on her window cut through the smooth melody and Bell rolled it down as far as the old window could go to address Tyler Crowley. 

“Sorry, Tyler, we’re stuck behind Cullen.” Bell apologized quickly with a small smile. 

“Oh, yeah, I know. I just wanted to ask you something.” Tyler said with a grin, his eyes bright. Bell motioned him to go on as she lowered the volume of the radio. “Will you ask me to the spring dance?” He questioned casually. 

“Um,” Bell let out a short, surprised laugh. “Sorry, Ty, I’m not gonna be in town that day.” She said gently with an apologetic grin. 

Tyler ran his fingers through his hair, “Yeah, Mike said that.” He admitted before smiling brightly, “I was hoping you were just letting him down easy.” He shrugged. “But it’s cool, we still have prom.” Tyler winked before running off to his car with a laugh at her astonished expression. 

Bell let out a laugh of her own, rolling up the window and shaking her head at her new friend. She looked up in time to see Alice wave at her as she and the rest of her siblings slid into the Volvo. Edward’s dark eyes were watching her through his rearview mirror, crinkled at the corners as he shook with laughter. Bell scoffed lightly and honked twice at him, snapping her fingers rapidly. She grinned when Edward looked away, shaking even harder as he sped away.

When she got home and took a shower, Bell started making chicken enchiladas. It was a long process that would entertain her as her mind wandered helplessly to Edward Cullen. While the onions and chilies simmered, she got a call from a jubilant Jessica. She was excitedly rambling about how Mike had caught her after school to accept her invitation. Bell congratulated her happily, smiling down at the pot as she stirred the ingredients with a spoon, before Jessica said her goodbyes to call her other friends to tell them the good news. 

After Bell hung up and started slicing the chicken, she started wondering why Edward would think that staying away from her would be better. He’d seemed absolutely miserable in the long, agonizing month that he refused to speak with her. Did his siblings say something? Did they think she would tell everyone what she’d seen? It wasn’t her secret to tell, she would never do that to him. Edward’s expression had lit up with happiness when they spoke, relief and a quiet affection in his eyes after he admitted he’d love to be her friend as well. He looked even more beautiful then, and the thought made her heart beat just a little faster. 

Charlie arrived just as she started serving their plates, and eyed the enchiladas with a weary look. Not that Bell could blame him, the closest edible Mexican food was all the way down in southern California, but he was brave enough to take the first bite. The awed look on his face made her laugh. 

“Hey, Dad?” Bell began when he was reaching for seconds.

“Yeah, Bells?” 

“I was planning on heading over to Seattle for a day, a week after Saturday.” She said, taking a sip of her water before looking at her father again, “If that’s alright?” 

“Oh, what for?” Charlie seemed both curious and surprised, like he couldn’t believe Bell wanted something outside of Forks. 

“I wanted to take some pictures, buy some books and maybe some clothes.” Bell replied with a small shrug. She had a lot of money saved up and she could use more clothes, plus the breathtaking sight of Mt. Rainer over the skyscrapers was worthy of immortalization. 

“The truck probably doesn’t get very good gas mileage,” Charlie said, sounding unsure. 

“It’s fine, I’ll stop wherever I have to.”

A suspicious gleam shone in his eyes as he squinted at her, pointing his fork almost accusingly, “Are you going all by yourself?” Charlie asked, probably wondering if she had a secret boyfriend or something like that.

“Mhm.” 

“Seattle is a big city— you could get lost…” He fretted and Bell chuckled, smiling.

“Phoenix is five times bigger than Seattle.” She reminded him, “And if I get lost I can just use Google Maps or something,” Bell continued, gesturing to her phone. 

“Are you sure you want to go alone?”

Bell bobbed her head in a nod, “I could use some me time.” 

“Okay.” Charlie said, quietly chewing a piece of chicken before he spoke up again. “Will you be back in time for the dance?” 

She was a tad surprised he knew when the dance was, but then she remembered he was a cop. School dances tend to get wild. “Ah, no. School dances aren’t really my thing.” Bell explained, shrugging a shoulder, “Too many people crammed together. It tends to get hot and sweaty, gross.” She grimaced.

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement, “Okay, Bells.” 

There was a thick curtain of grey clouds covering the sky the next morning as Bell parked her truck in front of the school, but it wasn’t raining yet. She got out of the cab with her things and she fumbled with her keys when she went to lock the door. They fell from her hand and into a small puddle. Bell let out a small huff, but before she could bend down to pick them up, a pale hand was already offering them to her. She blinked in surprise and looked up to find Edward Cullen leaning against her truck, a crooked grin on his face.

“Good morning.” He greeted casually, dropping the keys into her hand. 

Bell smiled back at him, “Good morning, Barry Allen.” She teased as she locked the truck and pocketed her damp keys.

His eyes twinkled with amusement. They were bright again, a deep, golden color that chased away the shadows that had grown under his eyes for the past month. “Is that one of your guesses?” Edward asked. 

She nodded her head, walking alongside him towards the main building, “Yup. It’s right under _alien_ and _demigod_.” Bell said in a serious voice. 

Edward threw his head back and laughed.

It was easily one of the most breathtakingly beautiful things she had ever seen and heard.

“What was with the traffic jam yesterday, by the way?” Bell queried, ignoring the enamored flutters of her heart. 

A smirk curled at his pink lips, “I wanted to give Tyler a chance to ask you to the dance.” Edward replied, mischief in his voice. 

Bell shook her head in mock disappointment, “Evil.” She murmured while looking away, “Perhaps a son of Loki?” 

Edward chuckled, “Perhaps not.” He shot her down. “I want to ask you something, but you keep sidetracking me.” 

She looked up at him through her lashes, “Am I distracting you?” Bell murmured and grinned when he looked away, swallowing thickly. “I’m kidding, ask away.” She laughed. 

“I was wondering if, a week from Saturday— you know, the day of the spring dance,” Edward started, giving her a pointed look, “You wanted a ride to Seattle?” 

“Okay, _firstly_ — how did you know I was going to Seattle?” Bell asked in mild confusion and surprise. Edward shrugged with a secretive smile. “That’s disturbing. Secondly, and not to be rude, but why would you go all the way to Seattle?” 

“Well, I was going to Seattle in the next few weeks and, to be honest, I don’t think your truck can make it.” Edward admitted, looking back at the faded red truck in the parking lot with a small grimace.

Bell narrowed her eyes at him, “Hey, Ol’ Red works fine, thank you very much.” She said, walking a bit faster just to tease him. His footsteps quickened. 

“I meant no offense.” Edward was quick to say, “But your truck won’t make it there on one tank of gas. You’d be saving money and avoiding wasting finite resources.” He pointed out and Bell chuckled.

“Tempting.” 

“I’m tired of trying to stay away from you.” He confessed after a moment, his golden eyes never leaving her face. Bell found herself holding her breath at the intensity of his gaze. “Will you go with me to Seattle?” Edward asked in a softer voice, almost pleading.

Bell swallowed thickly, trying to calm her racing heart, and nodded her head. He smiled brightly and she watched all the tension melt from his shoulders. She couldn’t help the slow smile that spread over her lips before she tilted her head up to press her lips against his cold cheek. Edward froze, lips parted and eyes comically wide.

“I’ll see you in class.” Bell grinned cheekily, turning on her heels to walk into English. She glanced over her shoulder to see what he was doing and held back a laugh. He was still standing in the middle of the hall, staring at nothing with a dazed expression on his beautiful face.

She broke him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edward.exe has stopped working
> 
> lunaeti.tumblr.com


	5. Old Rust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward blinked at her slowly, as if coming back from a pleasant dream. “Well,” He began, tapping his fingers along to an unheard melody, and the words came to him in a rush. “I decided that as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly and enjoy myself.” Edward looked at her through his lashes, smiling to a joke she didn’t quite understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to all my readers for the wonderful feedback and your patience!

Bell walked into English and muttered a small apology to Mr. Mason, eyes on the floor and lips pursed to fend off a smile. He shook his head at her with a frown on his lips, but turned to keep writing on the board. She hurried to get seated, taking out her notebook and pencil to begin scribbling down her notes. A glance to the side revealed that Mike had refused to sit next to her, instead occupying one further back and away from her. A pang of hurt stung her heart, but Bell brushed it off quickly and turned to her notes. Mike would get over it soon. Life was too short for petty resentments.

She was right, of course, seeing as Mike and Eric waited for her at the door while chatting animatedly with one another. The golden haired boy seemed more and more like himself again as they spoke on their way to their next class. Enthusiasm was clear in his voice when speaking about the weather report for the weekend— the rain was supposed to take a minor break, increasing the possibility of their little get-together at the beach. Despite the lack of rain, the temperatures would still be very low, probably forty degrees or perhaps less. Bell still spoke with an eagerness similar to his, simply glad to see him back in high spirits. 

The rest of the morning passed in a blur, her mind whisked away to relive her previous conversation with Edward Cullen. The way he had spoken, the way he had looked at her, it was all so exciting. It made her heart flutter like a hummingbird’s wings and subtle heat to warm the apples of her cheeks, an incredibly rare occurrence. She hadn’t felt this way in lifetimes. And Bell decided that she would embrace these beautiful feelings in whatever time she had left, whether they were reciprocated or not, because they made her happy.

That same happiness thrummed in her veins as she made her way to the cafeteria with Jessica. The shorter girl was babbling about her dance plans, how Angela and Lauren had asked other boys and they were all going together. Bell hummed softly and nodded along, her eyes straying to the Cullen’s table. Alice was sitting in Edward’s usual spot, golden eyes twinkling as they locked gazes, and wiggled her fingers at Bell with a secretive smile. Emmett leaned over with a similar grin and even Jasper had the ghost of a smirk lifting the corners of his lips. Bell blinked her eyes at them and lifted her free hand in a slow wave, confused. 

Jessica’s chattering halted suddenly and she tugged at the long sleeve of Bell’s sweater. “Edward Cullen is staring at you again.” She whispered, nearly skipping as she guided them to their usual table. “I wonder why he’s sitting alone today…” 

_ Alone? _

Bell quickly looked up to follow her gaze. Edward smiled at her crookedly from his spot at an empty table across the cafeteria. Her lips spread into a smile by their own volition at the sight of him. Without breaking eye contact, he rose a hand and curled his index finger in a come hither gesture. Her smile became a grin and a small, breathless laugh left her lips when he winked playfully. Jessica gasped loudly. 

“He means  _ you _ !” She yelped as if Bell hadn’t noticed, astonishment in her voice. 

“I better go see what he wants.” Bell murmured, nearly breathless with excitement, and only gave Jessica’s shocked face a brief glance of acknowledgement. “Excuse me.” She could feel the burning stares on her back as she walked away from their usual table to join Edward. By the look on his face, he was immensely pleased.

“Why don’t you sit with me today?” Edward suggested when she arrived, that crooked smile still playing on his pink lips. 

Bell didn’t hesitate, setting her tray down and taking a seat across from him. They didn’t say anything at first, just smiling and looking at each other with the same amount of fascination. After all this time, Bell was still astounded that someone had been blessed with such implausibly gorgeous looks. 

“This is different.” Bell noted in a soft voice, similar to a sigh. 

Edward blinked at her slowly, as if coming back from a pleasant dream. “Well,” He began, tapping his fingers along to an unheard melody, and the words came to him in a rush. “I decided that as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly and enjoy myself.” Edward looked at her through his lashes, smiling to a joke she didn’t quite understand. 

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she smiled nonetheless. “That’s one way to put it, I suppose.” Bell chuckled, taking the plastic lid off her salad bowl. 

He leaned on his arms, ducking his head slightly to watch her face. “I think your friends are angry at me for stealing you.” Edward pointed out, his crooked grin anything but concerned. 

Bell shrugged a shoulder, pushing her long brown hair out of the way so she could dig into her Greek salad, “They’ll survive, I’m sure.” She said dismissively, ignoring the eyes piercing her back.

“I may not give you back, though,” Edward stated suddenly, a wicked gleam in his golden gaze. Bell looked down at her meal, biting back a smile. “You don’t look too worried.” He noted, sounding both pleased and surprised by that fact.

“Mm, not really.” Bell hummed coyly and looked up to catch his reaction. His bottom lip was caught between his teeth, his pupils expanding so that the color of his irises was nothing more than a golden ring around the black. “Also, what brought on this new seating arrangement?” She queried, raising an eyebrow with a sly grin. 

“I told you, I’m tired of trying to stay away from you. So I’m giving up.” Edward smiled despite the alarming amount of seriousness in his voice. “I’m just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may.” His eyes looked down at the table as he spoke, far away. 

“Mysterious, yet intriguing.” Bell murmured, watching him attentively. “Two of my favorite things.” She added teasingly, and that breathtaking crooked smile reappeared. 

Edward chuckled gently, “I’m glad.” He confessed, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Everyone usually keeps away from mysterious people. For safety.” He added pointedly, like a quiet yet reluctant warning.

“Boring, normal people with boring, uneventful lives devoid of any sense of adventure.” Bell noted, taking a sip from her water bottle. “Life is too short for overthinking and avoidance. Trust me.” She chuckled, morbidly amused. 

“You’re so strange.” Edward breathed, sounding both frustrated and so helplessly enamored. 

Bell smiled, the wild flutters of her heart guiding warmth to her cheeks, “Thank you.” 

Edward tilted his head slightly, never moving his eyes away from her face, “What are you thinking of?” He queried softly. 

She took in his striking eyes, his messy bronze hair, his pale cheeks and his pink lips, and answered honestly, “I’m wondering what kind of creature the breathtaking man sitting in front of me is.”

He let out a short, surprised laugh and looked down at the table. “Any theories?” Edward asked.

“Some.” 

He looked up at her through his lashes, his lips curling into a terribly tempting smile, “Won’t you tell me?” 

Bell pursed her lips, seemingly thoughtful. “No, I don’t think I will.” She said after a brief moment of feigned pondering. 

Edward grinned, “How cruel.” He shook his head. His eyes landed on something over her shoulder and he snickered, that mischievous gleam back in his eyes. “Your boyfriend is getting jealous. He’s working up the courage to come over.” He pointed out, highly amused.

She knew  _ exactly _ who he was talking about, but she wasn’t about to take the bait. “I wasn’t aware I was in a relationship.” Bell stated.

“ _ He _ seems to think so.” No, she wasn’t going to humor him and follow his gaze. 

Bell raised an eyebrow, “And how would you know that?” She enquired. 

“Most people are easy to read.” Edward replied, almost smugly, before his smile faltered as he stared at her, “Except for you. I wonder why…” 

“Maybe I‘m just one of those people.” Bell mused with the shrug of her shoulders and flashed him a smile before taking a sip of her water. “Can you do me a small favor?” She asked after a brief moment of silence. 

“It depends…” Edward trailed off with a suspicious tone in his voice, but the playful gleam in his eyes told her to continue. 

She toyed with her ring and bit at the inside of her cheek for a second. “Don’t do something you don’t want to.” Bell’s words were short and blunt, visibly catching him off guard. She looked up at him again, “Don’t avoid me if it’s the last thing you want to do. It makes both of us miserable and I honestly think it’s very unfair.” She continued, watching him stare back at her in surprise with parted lips and wide golden eyes. 

Slowly, a smile spread appeared on his face. “Alright. I promise.” Edward said softly and Bell nodded her head once, pleased. “Can I have one answer in return?” He queried.

Why not? “Sounds fair.”

He held up a slender finger, and grinned boyishly, “Tell me one theory.” 

“Anything  _ except _ that.”

“You didn’t specify, so you have to answer it.” Edward pointed out arguably and Bell pursed her lips, giving a defeated sigh that had him smirking. “Just one— I promise I won’t laugh.” He added. 

Bell stared at him, “Yes, you will.”

What happened next confirmed that Edward Cullen was going to be the inevitable cause of her death.

He looked down at the table for a moment before looking up at her through his long, dark lashes, his ochre eyes scorching. “Please, Bell,” Edward breathed and slowly leaned closer. Her mind automatically went to places it shouldn’t have and her mouth went awfully dry. “Please, just one little theory…” His eyes glanced down at her mouth before returning to her own brown irises. 

Bell let out a small laugh that was more forced than anything else, tearing her gaze away to lean back in her seat and away from the person causing her heart palpitations. “An incubus maybe,” She said, only half joking. 

He blinked at her, tilting his head, “An incubus?” Edward repeated. 

She raised an eyebrow at him and gestured at his whole self with the wave of her hand, “With that little stunt that you pulled just now? More probable than the other ones.” Bell pointed out, feeling her heart finally start to slow down to a normal pace. 

Edward chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement, “Anything else?” He asked. 

“You laughed.” Bell pointed at his still smiling face, “And you said one theory. That was it.” She reminded him and quickly glanced away when he started making that strangely arousing expression from before, with those enchanting eyes of molten gold and pouting lips of begonias. “Was I close though?” She asked, genuinely curious. 

He pursed his lips, appearing thoughtful, “ _ Somewhat _ .” Edward mused. “We’re both very dangerous creatures,” He continued, avoiding her eyes with an expression that told her he was clearly afraid he’d said too much. 

“You  _ are _ dangerous.” Bell nodded her head in agreement, “I fear for my fragile little heart every time I get near you.” She confessed, giving him a small grin. He looked down, his fingers loosely curling into his palms as he failed to bite back a bashful grin. 

It was then that she noticed the growing silence of their surroundings. The cafeteria was almost empty and the remaining students were already getting up to throw away their leftovers. Bell let out a small sigh, mildly disappointed that time had gone by so quickly. 

“We’re going to be late.” She noted, rising from her chair.

“I’m not going to class today.” Edward said in reply, silently drumming his fingers on the table.

Bell was immediately struck with concern and her brow furrowed. “Why not?” 

“It’s healthy to ditch class now and then.” He replied, smiling up at her. “You can join me, if you want.” He continued, a hopeful lilt to his voice. 

“Tempting…” It actually really, really was. “But I’ll have to pass. This town likes gossip and my dad’s the chief, not a good combination.” She said, shaking her head. Charlie would hear about it even before she got home. He’d grow worried and blame himself— that good, humble man. Bless him.

Disappointment dimmed his eyes and his smile thinned. “I’ll see you later, then.” Edward said in a softer voice.

She smiled at him, “Of course.” 

Luckily, Mr. Banner wasn’t in the room yet when she arrived, which gave her a bit of time to rearrange her thoughts. Not an incubus, but something alike, huh? Bell settled into her seat next to the window, keenly aware of Mike and Angela’s stares burning into the side of her head. Whereas Mike’s was resentful, Angela’s was filled with awe and surprise. The teacher came into the classroom just then, juggling a few small cardboards in his arms and calling the class to order. He put them down on Mike’s table and told him to pass them around.

“Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box,” Mr. Banner began as he produced a pair of rubber gloves from the pocket of his lab coat and pulled them on with a snap. The sharp sound cut through the air ominously. “The first should be an indicator card.” He said, grabbing a white card marked with four squares and displaying it. “The second is a four-pronged applicator,” He held it up for them to see, “and the third is a sterile micro-lancet.” Mr. Banner continued, splitting open the small piece of blue plastic. 

Her heart dropped to her stomach.

“I’ll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don't start until I get to you.” He said, standing next to Mike’s table again while carefully putting a single drop of water on each of the squares. “Then I want you to carefully prick your finger with the lancet…” Mr. Banner grabbed Mike’s hand and embedded the sharp tip into the tip of his middle finger. “Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs,” He squeezed Mike’s finger until the blood flowed. The hair on the back of Bell’s neck stood on end at the sight. “And then apply it to the card.” He held up the card for the class to see, but Bell had closed her eyes.

_ It was everywhere. Dripping down her face and soaking through her blouse. Her jaw ached and the taste of pennies flooded her mouth, coating her tongue in something thick. There was something stuck in her side, buried inside her  _ **_flesh_ ** _ — _

“Are you alright, Bell?” Mr. Banner’s voice came from her right, heavy with alarmed concern. 

“I’m afraid I’m not feeling very well, Mr. Banner.” Bell breathed, wiping away the sweat collecting on her forehead with the back of her hand and finally opening her eyes to look up at him. “May I be excused?” 

Mr. Banner nodded his head quickly. “Of course. Can someone take Bell to the nurse, please?” He called out and she vaguely heard Mike offer to help. Mr. Banner placed his hand between her shoulders, “Do you think you can walk?” 

Not trusting her voice, Bell nodded her head. Mike seemed almost eager as he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her arm over his shoulders. She leaned against him heavily on the way out of the classroom, muttering an apology that he brushed off with a smile. He was gentle, towing her slowly across campus until she stopped him around the edge of the cafeteria, out of sight of building four just in case Mr. Banner had been watching. 

“I need to sit for a minute.” Bell nearly begged and Mike was quick to help her sit on the edge of the sidewalk. It was a bit damp and it would undoubtedly leave embarrassing wet spots on her jeans, but Bell couldn’t find it in herself to care as she brought her knees closer to her chest and buried her hands in her hair, tilting her head up to the sky while letting her eyes fall closed. She took deep, slow breaths to ward off the threat of a panic attack.

She heard Mike shuffle nervously. “You’ve gone really pale, Bell.” He commented, concerned.

“Bell?” A different voice called from the distance.

It was  _ him _ . Edward.

“What’s wrong? Is she hurt?” He asked, upset, as the sound of his light footsteps came to a stop in front of her. 

Mike sounded stressed as he replied, “I don’t know what happened. We were pricking our fingers before she got like this. She hadn’t even done hers yet.”

“Bell.” Edward’s voice was closer now, less upset than before but still concerned. His hand touched her knee, the coldness seeping through her clothes. “Can you hear me?” 

“I’m fine.” Bell mumbled, still not opening her eyes. “Just need a minute…” She trailed off in a poor attempt to reassure him. His thumb rubbed comforting circles on her knee.

“I was taking her to the nurse,” Mike blurted suddenly in a defensive tone, “but she had to sit down.” 

“I’ll take her.” Edward stated rather than offered and Mike stammered for a second before being cut off. “You can go back to class.”

“No!” Mike finally said in protest. “I’m supposed to do it.” He pointed out with the stubbornness of a toddler. Or an unhappy puppy.

The sidewalk disappeared from beneath her and the world spun. Bell gasped sharply and opened her eyes, her arms shooting out to wrap around Edward’s neck as he scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing. He had a smug smile on his face, seemingly  _ very _ pleased with himself. Miked called out in protest, already ten paces behind them.

Bell patted Edward’s chest gently, letting her head rest on the juncture where his neck met his shoulder, “Careful.” She said softly and he slowed the pace a little, lessening the constant rocking. 

“So,” Edward began casually, “you faint at the sight of blood?” He meant it as a joke, to lighten up the mood, but her mind still went back to that day.

_ “Don’t— don’t look down, Bellamy! Keep your eyes on me, okay, honey?! Don’t fall asleep!”  _

_ “Help me put pressure on this—” _

_ “Don’t close your eyes, Bellamy—” _

His eyes darkened suddenly, his smile faltering as his brow furrowed. There was the lightest head tilt, as if he’d heard something. She didn’t give it too much thought and supposed something must have shown on her face. Bell forced the corner of her mouth to lift in a small smile, “Just this time around.” 

He didn’t get the joke.

The air inside the office was warm and smelled like a strange combination of rubbing alcohol and coffee. Edward was striding in like he owned the place, the door being held open by the front office receptionist, Ms. Cope. The nurse looked up from her book, an astonished expression on her elderly face when Edward walked in and set Bell down gently on one of the cots. He hovered by much like how he had back at the hospital, his bright eyes looking her over.

“She’s a little faint.” Edward reassured the nurse before she could take out her stethoscope, “They’re blood typing in Biology.” He elaborated.

An understanding look came across her face and she nodded. “There’s always one.” She chuckled and turned to Bell, brushing her hair away from her forehead in a motherly manner. “Just lie down for a minute, honey. It’ll pass soon.” 

“I know.” Bell sighed with a smile. 

“Does this happen frequently?” 

“Only sometimes.” She replied, avoiding Edward’s concerned look.

The nurse looked at Edward, “You can go back to class now.” She told him.

“I’m supposed to stay with her.” He replied with such authority in his voice that — even as she pursed her lips — the nurse didn’t argue with. 

“I’ll go get you some ice for your head, dearie.” The nurse told Bell, who mumbled her thanks, before leaving the room.

Bell sighed, rubbing between her brows in hopes of alleviating her headache, “You were right.” 

Edward raised his eyebrows, “I usually am, but what in particular this time?” He teased quietly. 

“Ditching is healthy.” She shot him a contagious grin that had him smiling back at her. 

There was a pause, a minute with the sound of buzzing coming from the lights being the only noise in the room. “You scared me back there, partner.” Edward admitted, making his confession with a lighthearted tone. “I thought Newton was on his way to drag your dead body into the woods.” 

“Hilarious.” Bell said sarcastically, but smiled nonetheless. 

He grinned crookedly, “Honestly, I’ve seen corpses with better color. I was concerned I might have to avenge your muder.” Edward continued, making her chuckle.

“Oh, poor Mike,” She murmured, failing to bite back a grin, “He must be seething.” 

“He absolutely loathes me.” Edward said cheerfully, nodding his head. 

Bell pretended to be shocked, going as far as placing her hand on her chest, “What? No!” She gasped theatrically. “However could you tell?”

“It was written  _ all  _ over his face.” Edward pointed out, looking highly amused. “He doesn’t even bother to hide it.” 

He didn’t. Mike was one of those expressive guys that wore their heart on their sleeve. There aren’t many people he dislikes, but Edward is definitely at the top of that short list. “How did you see us, anyways?” Bell asked curiously. “I thought you were supposed to be ditching.” 

Edward shrugged his shoulders, “I was in my car, listening to a CD.” He answered. 

The door opened and the nurse came back inside with a cold compress in her hand. “Here you go, dear.” She smiled, laying it across Bell’s forehead. “You’re looking better.” She observed.

“Yeah, I’m alright now.” Bell assured her, holding the compress to her head as she sat up on the cot. The headache was almost completely gone and the room was no longer spinning, the mint green walls staying where they should. 

Before the nurse could protest, Ms. Cope opened the door and stuck her head in. “We’ve got another one.” She warned. 

Bell quickly got off the cot for a sallow looking Lee Stephens, one of the students in their Biology class, who was leaning heavily against Mike. She passed the compress to the nurse and drew back against the wall with Edward to give them more space. 

“Oh no.” Edward muttered under his breath, quickly grabbing her shoulder. “Let’s go out to the office, Bell.” He said in an urgent tone. Confused and startled, she turned to look at him and met his eyes. The color had darkened considerably, and his gaze was stern yet worried. “ _ Trust me _ .” 

It hit her.

Bell quickly spun on her heels and caught the door before it shut, darting through with Edward right behind her. Her hand was pressed against her nose until they made it out, and even then she waited a few seconds before lowering it to breathe properly. 

“I smelt it.” Bell explained in response to Edward’s questioning look. Lee hadn’t gotten sick from staring at other people, he’d  _ cut _ himself too deeply with the lancet. 

Edward’s brow furrowed and he shook his head slowly. “People can’t smell blood,” He contradicted. 

She let out a small huff, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a smile that was more of a grimace. “I can,” Bell admitted. “It smells like rust and salt.” She elaborated, knowing the dreadful scent by heart. An unreadable expression flitted across his face and Bell frowned. “What?”

He pursed his pink lips, “It’s nothing.”

Mike nearly burst through the door then, his blue eyes darting between her and Edward. He gave the taller male a look that confirmed everything they discussed about loathing. He looked back at Bell with a glum look on his expressive face. “You look better.” Mike observed in an accusing tone, and Bell pursed her lips in a vain attempt to smother her amusement.

“Yeah,” Bell nodded her head once. “I feel much better now. Thank you.” She was sincerely grateful, he’d helped her out of the classroom after all.

He shuffled his feet, “Are you going back to class?”

“I think I’ll wait for the next one, there’s not much time left for Biology to end.” She pointed out, aware of Edward’s attention being on them even as he pretended to look at something across the room. 

Mike bobbed his head, “Yeah.” He wet his lips with the nervous swipe of his tongue. “So, um, are you going this weekend? To the beach?” The blond asked hopefully, shooting Edward a brief glare. 

Oh,  _ that _ . She forced a smile, “That’s the plan so far.” 

He didn’t catch on to the hidden meaning in her words. “We’re meeting at my dad’s store, ten o’clock.” Mike’s blue eyes darted to Edward again, as if he was concerned that he was revealing too much information.

Bell wiped her hands down the front of her jeans to get rid of the moisture still clinging to her palms from the compress. “Yeah.” She uttered. 

“I’ll see you at Gym, then.” With that, Mike was gone. He looked back for a moment, a slight pout on his round face as his shoulders slumped, before walking out of sight. Poor puppy.

“Are you really feeling well enough to go to Gym?” Came Edward’s enquiry.

Bell closed her eyes and failed to bite back a grin. She couldn’t lie to him. “In all honesty? I want to lay down. I’m exhausted.” She confessed. 

“I can take care of that.” He reassured, his voice suddenly much closer. She opened her eyes to look up at him, his ochre eyes staring back at her tenderly. “Go sit down, you’re still pale.” Edward said softly.

“I’m always pale.” Bell snorted, but complied. Edward was quick to intercept Ms. Cope the second she entered the office. Bell leaned back on the creaky folding chair, resting her head against the wall and watching through heavy lidded eyes. 

“Ms. Cope, Bell has Gym next hour, and I don’t think she feels well enough.” Edward started, his voice soft and nearly hypnotising. She could only compare it to melting honey. Too bad she could only see the back of his head, his eyes must have been breathtaking. “I was thinking I could take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?” 

Ms. Cope blinked her eyes multiple times in a row, her cheeks gaining a touch of pink, “Do you need to be excused, too, Edward?” She asked quickly. He got her where he wanted her. Bell bit back a laugh. 

Edward shook his head. “No, I have Ms. Goff, she won’t mind.”

“Okay, it’s all taken care of.” Ms. Cope nodded and looked over at Bell with a small smile, “Hope you feel better, Bell.” She called and Bell gave her a weak nod.

“Can you walk?” Edward asked, genuine concern in his eyes. “Do you need me to carry you again?” He added and his arms were already moving, just short of scooping her up again.

Bell shook her head and told him she could walk. He still held the door open for her, though, hovering like a fretting mother. A cold, fine mist had begun to drizzle down from the ever present clouds. She tilted her head up and let the water wash away the light sweat that had gathered on her face. 

“Thank you.” She said softly to Edward after a moment of silence, turning to see him already watching her.

“Anytime.”

“Will you be going this Saturday?” Bell questioned. She was hoping he would, even when it seemed highly unlikely. It just didn’t seem like a place he would be comfortable with, surrounded by rowdy teenagers on a cold beach. 

“And where are you all going, exactly?” Edward asked casually and Bell had the sudden feeling that he knew exactly where they were going, but she answered anyway.

“Down to La Push, to First Beach.”

His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly and his pink lips stretched into a wry smile. “I really don’t think I was invited.” Edward commented.

Bell looked up at him, tucking a damp lock of her long hair behind her ear, “I’m inviting you now, though.” 

Edward hummed, something pleased in his eyes, but he shook his head. “Let’s not push poor Mike any further this week. He might just snap.” He grinned crookedly, the golden color of his eyes bright.

There were little drops of rainwater clinging to his long lashes and weighing down his bronze hair, dripping to slide down his marble skin. Disappointment struck her suddenly, a heavy weight in her chest, and Bell cleared her throat. She contemplated inviting him to go birdwatching with her sometime, but decided against it and started walking towards her truck. Something caught the back of her jacket just as she was fishing for her keys, pulling her back.

It was Edward. “Where are you going?”

She blinked, “Home…?” 

His brow furrowed, “Didn’t you hear me promise to take you home safely? I’m not letting you drive in your condition.” Edward seemed alarmed that she would even think of driving home by herself. 

“But,” Bell was painfully aware of the way her heart was racing in her chest, “what about my things and my truck—”

“I’ll have Alice drop them off at your house after school.” Edward said in reply before grabbing her arm and guiding her towards his Volvo. He opened the passenger door and Bell hesitated. Her hair was wet from the rain, as were the rest of her clothes, and she was sure there was mud on the soles of her boots. 

She pushed away the wet locks clinging to her face and caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m going to get everything dirty.” Bell told him, ready to head back to her truck.

He gave her a  _ look _ and opened the door wider. “It’s fine, Bell. Get in.” Edward used that little voice from lunchtime, the one that made her mouth go dry and her mind go to places it definitely should not.

Bell looked away quickly and got inside the car. Edward was sliding in right after, the shiny Volvo purring to life as he turned on the heater and lowered the volume of the radio. They were pulling out of the parking lot when she recognized the music playing. Her lips curled into a nostalgic smile.

“Is that Clair de Lune?” 

Edward glanced at her in surprise, “You know Debussy?” 

She nodded her head, fiddling with the damp sleeves of her jacket. “Clair de Lune is one of my favorites.” Bell admitted before adding, “My mom loves playing classical music in the house.”

“It’s one of my favorites, too,” Edward said, suddenly lost in thought as he looked out through the rain.

The music coming from the radio and the constant tapping of the fat raindrops falling from the sky were the only sounds in the car. They were going fast, she realized, but the Volvo was driving so smoothly that you didn’t really notice unless you saw the blurred colors of the town flashing by. 

“What’s your mother like?” He asked suddenly, curious.

Bell couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Renee. “I look a lot like her, but I think she’s prettier. She’s outgoing and brave and irresponsible— don’t get me started on her cooking.” She chuckled, grinning, “You can’t tell if she’ll give you something edible or not. She’s eccentric and I love her just the way she is.” 

“...How old are you, Bell?” Edward questioned, something like frustration in his voice as the Volvo slowed down to a stop in front of the Swan residence. 

She looked down at her hands and suddenly felt so,  _ so _ tired. As if the last centuries were suddenly weighing her down. “Seventeen.” Bell replied after a moment.

“You don’t seem seventeen.” 

His observation made a laugh spill from between her lips, unbidden. It was mildly bitter, nearly watery. “Yeah, that’s...” She chuckled again and finally looked at him, “People tell me I have a  _ really _ old soul. Always do.” Bell said, shrugging her shoulders before giving him a look, “You have one, too, I think.” 

She saw his Adam’s apple bob with a harsh swallow and something flitted through his gaze. “Why did your mother marry Phil?” Edward asked instead of replying. 

Even when Bell had only mentioned his name once, nearly two months ago, he still remembered it. 

“Renee is very,” She pressed her tongue against her cheek for a moment as she mulled over her next words, “ _ young _ in spirit. I think Phil makes her feel even younger. She’s smitten.” 

He tilted his head, “Do you approve?” 

“He makes her happy, that’s what really matters.” Bell replied easily.

“That’s very generous… Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? No matter who your choice was?” Edward continued, his eyes suddenly staring at her intently.

“I’d hope so.” Bell grinned. 

He grinned back, “No one too scary then.” 

She tilted her head at him. “What do you mean by that? A gothic person?” Bell asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s one definition, I suppose.”

“And what’s  _ your _ definition?”

Edward dodged her question, asking one of his own, “Do you think I could be scary?”

_ Oh? _ What was this about? Her eyes darted over his face, taking in the teasing smile playing on his lips. It seemed a bit forced. “If you really wanted to.” Bell said truthfully. He wasn’t human, she knew that much. 

“Are you scared of me right now?” That smile of his faltered, the corners of his lips tugging down into the beginnings of a frown. Edward’s mesmerizing eyes were begging her to say  _ no _ . 

Bell wasn’t scared of him.

She was scared  _ for _ him.

She was already so attached, holding him close to her heart despite their interactions having begun only two months ago. He possibly felt the same — she had no way to know, never really did — but if this…  _ curse _ of hers suddenly decided it was time to go then… What would become of the sad, lonesome Edward Cullen?

“No.” Bell answered softly, truthfully, with a sad smile curling at her lips. Something flickered in his eyes and his brow furrowed, his pink lips parting ever so slightly. “But enough talk about me. Why don’t you tell me about your family? I’m sure it’s way more interesting than my stories.” She teased lightly to distract him from the previous subject. Edward instantly gave her a cautious look and Bell found herself grinning. “I won’t ask about your supernatural status, I still have to figure it out by myself.”

Edward chuckled quietly, relaxing. “What would you like to know?”

Bell hummed thoughtfully. “You were adopted by the Cullens,” She paused for a moment, hesitating, but the comforting look in his eyes made her continue, “Can I ask what happened to your parents? Did you know them?”

He nodded once, his slender fingers tracing absentminded patterns on the steering wheel. “I don’t remember them clearly,” Edward murmured over the pitter patter of the rain, “They died many years ago.”

Her expression softened. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now.” Edward continued, the smallest of smiles tugging at his lips as his golden eyes lit up at the thought of them.

“You love them.” Bell stated with a smile of her own, fiddling with her fingers as her heart skipped at the tender expression on his beautiful face. 

“I do.” Edward said, the corners of his eyes crinkling happily, “I couldn’t imagine two better people.” 

“You’re very lucky.” Bell said softly before recalling the other members of the Cullen family, “What about your siblings?” 

Edward went to say something, but a glance at the digital clock on the dashboard had his expression falling in disappointment. “My siblings,” He began with a sigh, “are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me…”

“I’m so sorry for keeping you.” Bell grimaced after looking at the clock. “Please send them my apologies.”

“It’s fine.” Edward said, nearly pouting, “And you probably want your truck back before Chief Swan gets home, so you don’t have to tell him about the Biology incident.” He added as a crooked grin took over his face, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Bell snorted, “Oh, he definitely knows by now. There’s almost no secrets in small towns.” She said, disgruntled. 

Edward laughed at her predicament. “Have fun at the beach,” He said before glancing out the window, rain still falling down from the sky, “ _ Great _ weather for sunbathing.” 

Ha  _ ha _ . Hilarious.

Something about his words struck her though. Her brow furrowed, and she found herself frowning. “Won’t I see you tomorrow?” Bell enquired.

He took notice of her disappointment and pursed his lips, his expression softening. “Emmett and I are starting the weekend early. We’re going hiking in the Great Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier.” Edward explained.

She briefly recalled Charlie mentioning that the Cullens went camping frequently. Bell mustered up a smile, telling herself not to be greedy, “Hope you have fun, take pictures for me, will you?”

He smiled back at her, “Of course.” Edward replied. She had started opening the door when his arm shot out to stop her, his cold fingers delicately curling around her wrist. Bell turned to look at him in surprise and found him closer than she’d expected. “Can you promise me something?” He asked almost breathlessly, ochre eyes searching hers. 

Bell could only nod, entranced.

“Please be careful. I—” Edward swallowed thickly and let out a shaky breath, “I don’t know what I’d do… if you got hurt.” He confessed, sounding torn as his beautiful eyes gained a glossy sheen. 

God, she wanted to kiss him so badly.

As if hearing her thoughts, he glanced down at her lips with an almost longing expression, his thumb rubbing slow circles on her inner wrist. Bell noticed she’d been leaning closer and stopped herself. “I promise.” She whispered instead.

Edward looked up at her through his lashes for a moment before giving in and pressing his soft lips against the corner of her mouth in a soft peck. Bell held her breath and her heart stuttered in her chest, her mouth going dry at his actions. He drew back and placed his hands on the steering wheel, his bottom lip caught between his teeth in a bashful gesture. 

“I’ll see you next week.” He murmured, not looking at her directly. Bell couldn’t help but grin and said her goodbyes before getting out of the car, afraid she’d swoop back in and caught those pink lips with hers.

She wasn’t so sure she would be able to hold back next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there’s so much emotional and sexual tension between them that i genuinely struggled not to let them make out in Edward’s Volvo.
> 
> lunaeti.tumblr.com


	6. Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lullaby — he thought to himself — for a girl older than her years, sleeping peacefully in a bed too big for her, with her long and thick brown hair strewn over her pillow like a dark halo. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not gonna lie, i loved writing his chapter
> 
> we start it off with eddie’s pov and the soon to be wolf pack makes an appearance uwu
> 
> (lunaeti.tumblr.com)

If Edward Cullen had a heartbeat, he was sure it would be roaring in his ears. He kept the windows up, basking in Bell’s scent as he drove back to the school. He took slow, deep breaths that filled his lungs to their maximum capacity before letting the air out in a shaky sigh. He didn’t need to look at his hands to know he was shaking.

Thankfully, the final hour wasn’t out yet, giving him enough time to get himself together. A glance at the mirror showed him how blown his pupils were, eclipsing the ochre of his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair and pursed his lips, unintentionally recalling how soft her skin was against his mouth. Edward grimaced.

He was fucked.

So utterly fucked.

He’d known her for a short time and he already adored her. He craved her touch, loved the sound of her voice and nearly got drunk off her scent with every breath. It felt like someone was tearing him apart every time he wasn’t near her. Edward deduced Bell was attracted to him, if her actions were anything to go by, but he had no way of being absolutely sure. Her mental silence was both fascinating and frustrating.

Although… he’d heard _something_ when he was carrying her to the front office, like muffled voices through static. It’d happened again in the car, when he grabbed her wrist. For one, fleeting moment, she considered kissing him. And he’d wanted her to.

He wanted her to kiss him, to tangle her fingers in his hair, to pry his lips apart with her tongue and gently cradle his face like _he_ was the fragile one, to straddle him so that her warmth soaked into his skin through their clothes. He wanted her to keep looking at him like he was something to be cherished, something to be _protected_. God, he wanted her so badly—

Edward nearly jumped out of his skin when the passenger door opened. 

_Ha! Caught you by surprise. That’s a first_ , Emmett grinned widely as he slid into his seat. “I bet Ms. Goff thinks you’re on drugs, with how erratic you’ve been lately. Where were you today?” He asked curiously, tilting his head.

“I was…” Edward thought back to the weight of Bell in his arms, a smile tugging at his mouth, “doing good deeds.” 

Emmett’s brow furrowed, his confusion apparent even without having to peek into his thoughts.

“Caring for the sick, and all that.” Edward continued, chuckling.

“Oh!” It took a moment, but it finally clicked in Emmett’s mind. That, along with Bell’s scent. “You mean Bell?” His grin returned and he wiggled his eyebrows. 

Edward rolled his eyes at the thoughts going through his brother’s mind. Although, they weren’t far from Edward’s own thoughts a short while ago…

“She does have quite a nice scent, doesn’t she?” Emmett added, taking another lungful of air.

A growl left his mouth before the words even registered completely, his lips curling back to bare his teeth in a furious snarl. The possessive anger brewing in his chest was new. 

Emmett raised his hands in surrender, amusement shining in his eyes, “Hey, easy! I was just saying.” 

The rest of their siblings arrived just then. Rosalie caught Bell’s scent immediately, a scowl maring her pretty face and her eyes shooting Edward a glare. Jasper noticed as well, but he said nothing as he stared down at his lap. A part of Edward was upset that both his brothers found the appeal of Bell’s scent. It wasn’t as strong for them and they didn’t want to drain her dry or anything of the sort, but the smell of her blood brought them a portion of the comfort it gave him. 

And jealousy reared its ugly head.

Edward brushed it off and lowered his window as Alice skipped over with Bell’s bag slung over her shoulder. He dropped the keys to Bell’s truck in her extended palm. Alice gave him a look, “You have to tell me _everything_.” 

“But—”

“No buts.” Alice wagged her finger at him and Edward sighed deeply. 

He followed her all the way to the Swan residence. The rain was still falling heavily, the thick drops hammering the roof of the car. Edward highly doubted Bell would be able to hear the roar of her truck’s engine over the rain and rumble of distant thunder. Still, he looked up at her window in hopes to catch even a glimpse of her. No such luck.

Edward had no way of knowing if she was even in the house. Again, he grew frustrated that he couldn’t hear her thoughts clearly. Did she eat something? Did she feel alright? Was she sleeping? Did she think of him as much as he thought of her?

A wave of calmness washed over him and Edward made eye contact with Jasper through the mirror. _You were fretting_ , was Jasper’s amused excuse. Alice climbed in the back, curling into her mate’s side, and they sped home. Everyone went their separate ways the second they arrived.

Emmett and Jasper were engaged in an elaborate game of chess that involved seven additional boards and a complicated set of rules. Edward wasn’t allowed to play and neither was Alice, they would only play with each other. Rosalie was sulking on the sofa, flipping through the channels with a second in between. He heard her consider going to the garage to work on her BMW. Alice was purchasing some clothes for her project — Rosalie’s wardrobe — on her laptop while Esme, who was upstairs, hummed as she looked over a new set of blueprints.

Alice paused in her search and made eye contact with Jasper behind Emmett’s back, mouthing his next moves at her mate. Jasper kept his expression neutral, following her instructions and cutting off Emmett’s favored knight. Emmett groaned in frustration and Jasper smirked.

Edward shook his head at them and moved his eyes to the grand piano sitting a few ways from the entryway. Something like shame curled in his gut when he recalled just how long it had been since he played. He approached it slowly and took a seat. With a slow breath, Edward ran his hand gently up the scales to test the tuning. Perfect.

Upstairs, Esme paused and tilted her head.

He played the first tune that had come to mind when his fingers curled around Bell’s wrist. Edward smiled, pleased, when it sounded even better than he’d imagined. 

_Edward is playing again_ , Esme thought in joy as she dropped everything she’d been doing to take a seat on the top step of the staircase. She leaned her head against the banister, listening as Edward added a harmonizing line and let the central melody weave through it. _A new song,_ Esme sighed in contentment, _it’s been so long. What a lovely tune._

He let the melody lead in a new direction, following it with the bass line.

_Edward is composing again?_ Rosalie thought, her teeth clenching in fierce resentment. For a moment, her guard was down, and he could read all of her previously hidden outrage. Why she was so angry at him and why the thought of having to kill Isabella Swan had not bothered her in the least. 

Like always, it had to do with vanity. 

His fingers came to a halt, an abrupt laugh bubbling from his mouth before he could stop himself. Edward covered his mouth with his hand, struggling to smother his amusement as Rosalie got to her feet and glared at him with fury etched on her face. Both Emmett and Jasper stopped what they were doing, slowly turning to watch. Esme made her way downstairs, her eyes flickering between Edward and Rosalie.

After a moment of tense silence, Esme spoke, “Keep playing, Edward.” 

Edward did so, turning his back to his blonde sister to hide the grin spreading over his lips. Rosalie shot to her feet and stomped away to the garage, both furious and embarrassed. _If you say anything I will hunt you like a dog_ , her thoughts seethed at him.

He chuckled as Emmett called after her, “What’s wrong, Rose?” The blonde didn’t respond, her back ramrod straight as she made her escape to the garage. “What was that about?” He then asked Edward, who shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

“I haven’t the faintest idea.” 

Esme’s hands fell upon his shoulders, her thoughts urging him to continue. The song was compelling, but it was incomplete. He toyed with the bridge, but it didn’t seem right. “It’s charming. Does it have a name?” Esme asked curiously. He didn’t have to look at her to know she was smiling. 

“Not yet.” Edward replied even as his mind went to long brown hair and kind hazel eyes.

“Is there a story to it?” She continued, subtly trying to coax the information out of him. His music brought her great joy, and he felt guilty for having taken that away from her for so long. 

“It’s a lullaby, I suppose,” He murmured as he got to the bridge again, finally getting it right. It led easily to the next movement and took a life of its own. 

“A lullaby,” Esme repeated to herself.

A lullaby — he thought to himself — for a girl older than her years, sleeping peacefully in a bed too big for her, with her long and thick brown hair strewn over her pillow like a dark halo. 

Alice left Jasper to play for himself with Emmett, gliding over to take a seat next to Edward. In her trilling, wind chime voice, she sketched out two octaves higher above the melody. 

Edward nodded his head, “I like it, but how about this?” He queried, adding her line to the harmony as his hands glided over the keys effortlessly to work all the pieces together. Modifying, taking new directions and speeds… Alice caught on fairly quickly, and sang along. “Yes, that’s perfect.” Edward smiled and Esme squeezed his shoulders. 

He could see the end, with Alice’s voice rising above the tune and taking it to another place. He could finally see how the song would end, because the sleeping girl was perfect the way she was, and any change would be a great sadness. The end of the song was a realization, almost reluctant in its slowness. His sister’s voice lowered, taking a solemn tone that belonged under the echoing arches of a candlelit cathedral. With a heavy heart, Edward played the last note, and lowered his head. 

Esme ran her fingers through his hair. _It’ll be fine, Edward. This is going to work out for the best. You deserve happiness, my son. Fate owes you that._

If it was physically possible, his eyes would be filled with tears. “Thank you,” Edward whispered, knowing fate owed him nothing. 

_Love doesn’t always come in convenient packages, you know,_ Esme continued in a more lighthearted train of thought, squeezing his shoulders once more. _You, out of everyone on this planet, are perhaps best equipped to deal with such a difficult quandary. You are the best and brightest of us all._

He chuckled, albeit humorlessly, and placed his hand over one of hers. Esme was full of joy that his heart had finally been touched after so many decades, no matter the potential of tragedy. She’d feared he would be alone for all of eternity.

_She’ll love you back,_ came the sudden thought that caught him by surprise. _If she’s a bright girl, she’ll snatch you up the first chance she gets. I can’t imagine anyone being so slow that they wouldn’t see what a catch you are._

“Stop it, Mom,” Edward teased as a genuine smile spread over his lips. “You’re making me blush.” 

Alice laughed and picked out the top hand of “Heart and Soul.” Edward grinned and completed the harmony with her before continuing with “Chopsticks.” 

_They should play Queen_ , he heard Emmett’s absentminded thought as he moved one of his knights. 

“I would ask what you were laughing at Rose about,” Alice began with a sigh, nearly pouting, “but I can see that you won’t.” 

“I won’t.” Edward hummed in agreement and Alice flicked his ear with her fingers in retaliation.

Esme shot her a look, “Be nice, Alice,” She chided. “Edward is being a gentleman.” 

“But I want to know…!”

Edward laughed at her whining tone. “Here, Esme,” He caught her attention as he began playing her favorite song, a tribute of sorts to the love between her and Carlisle that he’d admired for years.

She patted his shoulders lightly, “Thank you, dear.”

While his fingers flew from key to key, his mind wandered to Rosalie, who was still mortified as she worked on her car in the garage. As amusing as it was, a part of him understood her now that he’d felt jealousy for himself. Her jealousy was a thousand times more petty than his, but still.

Edward briefly wondered what she would’ve been like if ethereal beauty wasn’t a part of the equation. Would she have been happier then? More kind and less egocentric? He could only wonder, it was far too late for any of that to change. Rosalie had always been a lovely woman, always in the spotlight— immortality hadn’t taken that away from her. She’d grown with adoration and compliments.

It was understandable that she’d be offended when he didn’t worship her beauty like she expected everyone to do. Even if Rosalie hadn’t wanted him in any way, it aggravated her that Edward did not want her. She was used to being wanted, lusted and pinned after. 

It was different with Carlisle and Jasper. They were both in love, while Edward had no one. Still, he’d remained unmoved when faced with her beauty. It was so many years ago that he’d thought it was a buried resentment, but apparently not.

Rosalie had firmly believed that if he didn’t find her beauty appealing, then there would be no beauty on the face of the earth that would move him. She was furious that Edward found an insignificant human girl far more appealing than her. That he’d been moved by Bell’s natural beauty and caring nature in a way that he’d never been. 

She was angry that Bell had effortlessly achieved what she had been trying to for decades. 

It was as sad as it was amusing.

“Oh!” Alice gasped suddenly, her head turning towards her mate, “Jasper, guess what?”

Edward froze in place the second he saw what she’d just seen in her vision. He immediately thought of Bell, her beautiful eyes full of fearful tears as two bloodthirsty vampires backed her into a corner. Esme looked at him in concern.

“What, Alice?” Jasper asked.

“Peter and Charlotte are coming to visit next week! They’re going to be in the neighborhood. Isn’t that nice?” 

Esme placed a hand on his back. “What’s wrong, my son?” 

“They’re coming to Forks?” The words left him in a hiss as his eyes narrowed at his sister. 

Alice rolled her eyes at him, “Relax, Ed. It’s not their first visit.” She reminded him, unnecessarily.

He grit his teeth, his fingers curling into tight fists that he set on his lap. What if they caught Bell’s scent and found it appealing? What if they decided to _hunt her down_? What the hell was he going to do with himself if he lost her before even truly having her?

Her smile faltered at his expression. “They never hunt here. You know that.” Alice said in a softer voice. 

Still not comforted, Edward sighed sharply, “When?” 

Alice pursed her lips, but she answered him. _Monday morning. They won’t hurt Bell._

“They won’t.” Edward agreed and turned to Emmett, rising from his seat. “You ready?” 

Emmett looked up from the half finished game, his eyebrows knitting together, “I thought we were leaving in the morning…?” 

“We’re coming back before midnight on Sunday. I guess it’s up to you when you want to leave.” Edward replied. 

“Okay, fine. Let me say goodbye to Rose first.” Emmett said as he got to his feet. He shot Jasper a look, pointing a finger at him, “This isn’t over, we’re finishing this when I get back.” 

Jasper smirked, “Of course.” 

When Emmett left for the garage, Esme placed a hand on his arm with a hopeful expression on her face. “Play that lullaby for me, one more time.” She pleaded gently. 

“If you’d like that.” He agreed easily, although some tenseness remained on his shoulders. Edward was a tad hesitant to go through the song again, knowing it would inevitably end, as all good things did. His fingers flitted up to his lips, the touch of his fingertips nowhere near as soft and satisfying as Bell’s skin. 

The memory made a small smile tug at his lips and, if he were capable of it, he’d be blushing. 

Alice and Esme exchanged a knowing glance, but neither of them said anything as he started to play.

* * *

If she was being honest, Bell had considered staying home instead of going to school on Friday. The ‘accident’ would be on everyone’s mind and teenagers tended to be nosy, not to mention unsubtle. But, staying home would have worried Charlie — which was the last thing she wanted to do, really — so she had to compromise. There were comments and whispers and giggles, nothing she hadn’t expected and certainly nothing she couldn’t ignore in favor of listening to the day’s lecture. 

Jessica finally let her curiosity get the better of her and tapped Bell’s arm in Trigonometry. “So, what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?” She asked, trying to appear casual, but the glint in her eyes betrayed her. Ah, so the questioning had begun. 

Bell fiddled with her pen, “He just wanted to talk.” She replied easily, shrugging. 

The curly haired girl leaned closer, her voice a whisper, “It looked like you were _flirting_.” 

Amused, she feigned surprise and blinked her eyes quickly as if startled by her observation. “Did it?” Bell gasped softly and Jessica shot her an unimpressed look, making her bite back a grin. 

“You know, that was the first time I’ve seen him sit with anyone other than his family.” Jessica confessed, “It was weird.” 

Bell nodded her head, twirling her pen between her fingers, “Yeah, really weird.” She agreed with the most serious expression she could manage. 

Jessica stared at her in silence for a few seconds. “You’re not gonna tell me anything, are you?” She finally huffed, disappointed.

This time, Bell didn’t even bother to hide the amusement on her face, “Not at all.” 

“Damn.” 

The worst part of the day was that, even if she knew he wouldn’t be there, a part of her still hoped to see him sitting with his siblings when she walked into the cafeteria with Mike and Jessica. Both he and Emmett were off on their trip, only Alice and the Hale twins talking in hushed voices at their usual table. Something like sadness tugged at her chest at the realization of how long she would have to wait to catch even a glimpse of messy bronze hair and ochre eyes. 

At their table, everyone was enthusiastic about their trip to La Push the next day. Mike talking animatedly, placing his faith in the weatherman who’d promised sun on the weekend. It was already warmer, nearly sixty degrees. 

Bell wasn’t unaware of the unfriendly glances shot her way by Lauren, but she hadn’t paid mind to it until they were walking out of the cafeteria together. She was walking a foot or two behind Lauren, and she was acutely aware of that fact.

“I don’t know why _Bell_ ,” Lauren sneered her name in disgust, “doesn’t sit with the Cullens from now on.” 

She didn’t so much as blink, merely sighed deeply. Bell hadn’t been expecting much from someone like Lauren, but she had to admit she’d had a bit of hope that she was wrong. Lauren’s unpleasant, nasally voice was filled with such malice that Bell wondered if her mother — or anyone really — ever hugged her. 

Mike turned to the blonde with a frown. “She’s my friend. She sits with us.” He stated firmly, almost territorially. While she was moved that Mike would defend her against his friend, Bell slowed her pace to let Angela and Jessica pass her. 

She had no time for such things. 

During dinner, Charlie seemed rather enthusiastic about her trip to La Push. He was glad she was going out with friends instead of staying alone in the house. Of course, he knew the names of the teenagers she was going with, as well as the names of their parents and their grandparents and so on. He made his approval clear.

Would he be as approving if she told him of her plans to go to Seattle with Edward Cullen? 

And yes, she was going to tell him. 

...When the timing was right.

“Hey, Dad, do you know about a place called Great Rocks? Just south of Mount Rainier, I think.” Bell questioned casually, taking a sip of water.

Charlie paused mid chew, “Yeah… why?” 

She hesitated for a moment, and chose not to mention names. “I heard some kids were going camping there, that’s all.” Bell replied.

His eyes widened a bit, his expression surprised, “It’s not a good place for camping. Too many bears.” Charlie shook his head. “Most people go there during hunting season.” 

Too many bears? For a moment, her mind’s eye went to the sizable dent caused in Tyler’s van from the force of Edward’s hand. A bear wouldn’t be a problem for Edward and Emmett, that’s for sure. 

Bell hummed, and shrugged a shoulder, “Maybe I got the name wrong.” 

The next morning, she was woken up by surprisingly bright streams of sunlight filtering through the gap between her blinds. Bell neared the window to check and, sure enough, the sun was out and about without the film of clouds obscuring it. It was oddly placed, too low in the sky and looking a bit too far away, but it was still the sun. The birds didn’t seem more enthusiastic that the day before, their chirping still the same.

Bell couldn’t help but agree.

The Newton’s Olympic Outfitters store was just north of Forks. She’d drove by it a handful of times, but Bell had never shopped there. She wasn’t in need of any supplies required for being outdoors other than her trusty raincoat. Bell pulled up at the store, parking between Mike and Tyler’s vehicles. She spotted a group standing in front of the Suburban. 

Eric was there, along with a pair of boys called Ben and Conner, and so was Jessica, flanked by Angela and Lauren. There were three other girls with them, one that Bell remembered from the opposite team during volleyball in Gym. The girl gave her a once over and whispered something in Lauren’s ear. The blonde’s eyes fell on her and gained a scornful look.

Alright then.

Mike came bounding over, a happy grin lighting up his face. “You came!” He nearly cheered in delight. “I said it would be sunny, didn’t I?” 

Bell couldn’t help but smile at this enthusiasm. “Never doubted you for a second.” She said lightly.

“We’re just waiting for Lee and Samantha,” He chirped before chewing on his bottom lip for a second and adding, “unless you invited someone…?” 

She slid her hands into the pockets of her jacket, thinking back to when she’d offered an invite to the boy plaguing her thoughts. “Oh, they couldn’t come.” Bell admitted with the shrug of her shoulders, “A shame really, you two would’ve gotten along _splendidly_.” She bit back a grin. 

Mike tilted his head, just like a puppy, “Aw, well, you could invite them again next time.” He said as if to reassure her. “Are you riding in my car? Or Lee’s mom’s minivan?” 

Bell shrugged her shoulders, “Riding with you is fine.” She felt eyes boring into the side of her head and added, in a louder voice, “But Jessica gets shotgun.”

Mike blinked at her, deflating slightly in both disappointment and confusion, “O-Oh, okay…?” 

Jessica’s thankful expression pleased her greatly.

In the end, Bell ended up taking the window seat with Jessica squeezed in between her and Mike after Lee had brought two extra people. It was fifteen miles from Forks to La Push. She was thankful she’d pinned her hair back in a french braid when they rolled the windows down. The gorgeous, thick forest flanked the road nearly the whole way there, with the Quillayute river snaking beneath it twice. Her hands were itching for her camera, but Bell knew the pictures would come out as a blur of greens and browns.

She’d been to La Push many times during the summers spent with Charlie, but seeing it again was just as breathtaking as the first time. First Beach was gorgeous with dark waters that reflected the sunlight, white capped and heaving onto the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose from the deep waters, made out of rocky cliffs and their own little forests. There was a thin border of sand at the water’s edge, which gave away to smooth, round stones of various shades and sizes. Driftwood trees littered the shore, bleached white from the saltwater, some piled together while others were by their lonesome.

There was a soft breeze, cool and salty as it kissed her cheeks. Pelicans floated lazily on the surface of the water while seagulls cried from above, gracefully gliding through the air currents. The sky was mostly clear, the clouds not daring to hide the sun. 

Unable to help herself any longer, Bell took a few pictures of the scenery. 

Mike led them down the beach, to a ring of logs around a fire circle that was used for little get-togethers like theirs. Eric and Ben quickly got to work, making a teepee-shaped construction with dry branches on top of the ashes left behind. 

“You might want to get a picture of this,” Mike pointed out, pointing a broken off branch at her. Bell raised an eyebrow at him but held her camera in her hands. “Ever seen driftwood fire?” He asked with a little grin on his face.

_Maybe…_ Memories tended to get fuzzy after a few lifetimes, unless they were impactful. There was no way to be sure if she had ever seen driftwood fire. “No,” Bell settled with, watching him curiously.

“You’ll like this then,” He said, flicking the cap of his lighter and letting the small flame catch on the branch. The fire licked away at the dry wood, and Mike was quick to place it with the rest. The flames danced will shades of oranges that became greens and blues, swaying and crackling. 

Her lips parted in awe, and she raised the camera to her face to snap a few pictures. She heard Mike snicker at her expression. “It’s because of the salt, right?” Bell enquired. 

Mike nodded with a grin, “Pretty, isn’t it?” 

It was.

Half an hour later, Bell found herself kneeling on the most stable looking rock on the outskirts of the largest tide pool in the area. The other girls, along with Tyler and Eric, had stayed behind at the beach while Bell and the rest went to see the pools. While her friends laughed and jumped over them, Bell snapped a few pictures — that she promised to send them later — before focusing on the sealife dwelling in the little natural aquariums below. 

Small crabs were scuttling by, flinching with every abrupt move of her companions, while fishes wove through the bouquets of anemones that danced in the currents. Starfish clung motionlessly to the rocks and a young banded snake eel peeked through the green seaweed, awaiting the sea’s return. In an absentminded action, she likened herself to the eel as she anticipated Edward’s return from his trip with his brother. She couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the same way.

Her companions politely waited until she was satisfied with the photos before announcing they were hungry. Rising from her spot, Bell noted that her jeans were wet at the knees wet, and became cautious with every step on the way back. Her boots had a good grip, which saved her from many slips and falls. When they got back to the beach, the group they’d left behind had grown. Bell spotted straight black hair that shone in the rare sunlight and warm, copper skin tones that contrasted with the pale skin of some of her friends. The newcomers were teenagers from the Quileute reservation. 

Food was being passed around and the boys around her ran over as if it were the first meal they were going to receive in weeks. Bell simply shook her head, her lips quirking up in amusement as she and Angella arrived at the circle of driftwood. Eric was quick to introduce them to the newcomers as Mike brought sandwiches and an array of sodas to choose from. Bell settled with a grape soda, taking a seat with Angela and smiling at the teenagers as the oldest of the group rattled off the names of his seven companions. 

It was then that her eyes fell upon Jacob Black, who had also perked up at the mention of her name. Her heart fluttered happily at the sight of the boy that used to waddle after her when she visited the reservation with Charlie. He looked to be about fifteen now, with some childish roundness still present on his face and a healthy head of black hair that was held away from his face by a rubber band. The shy little thing — figuratively speaking, of course — smiled back at her before looking down at his shoes. 

After finishing off their lunch, the group split off in twos and threes. Some walked down the edge of the waves to try and skip rocks over the choppy surface while others went back to the tide pools. Mike and Jessica went with some of the local teenagers to the shop in the village while others went to the pools. Lauren and Tyler were busy arguing over the music they were gonna play on the Bluetooth speaker they had brought, the three remaining boys from the reservation watched in thinly veiled amusement. 

Finally, Jacob sauntered over to Bell, who now sat alone on the driftwood. He was pretty, she noticed, what with those high cheekbones and dark brown eyes. It was not, however, the type of beauty that left her breathless, aching to lay a kiss upon pink lips and run her fingers through messy bronze locks. Jacob shuffled his feet, hands inside the pockets of jacket, and smiled at her again. 

“It’s nice to see you, Jake.” Bell smiled happily at him, unable to help herself. 

His smile grew, “You remember me.” Jacob said in delighted surprise. 

“Of course I remember you! Come on, sit down,” Bell patted the wood next to her and Jacob was quick to comply. She sat sideways and cradled the camera case in her lap, giving him all her attention. “Look at you, you’re so big now! How are Rachel and Rebecca?” Two shy little girls who hid behind their long hair that smiled brightly whenever Bell wove flower crowns and perched them on top of their heads. 

“Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer in Hawaii.” Jacob informed her. 

“Married,” Bell repeated in awe, realizing the twins were already eighteen. Time had slipped through her fingers like sand. 

“So, how do you like the truck?” Jacob asked with a grin and a small wiggle of his eyebrows. 

Bell chuckled, “I love it, it’s perfect.” 

“It runs great, but it’s so _slow_.” He complained lightly, revealing that he was a little speed demon. “You have no idea how relieved I was when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn’t let me work on building another car if we had a perfectly good vehicle in our hands.” 

“Hey,” Bell gave him a look, “don’t talk about Ol’ Red like that. He might not make it over sixty, but he could go against a tank and _win_.” She pointed out, in a matter of fact tone. Ol’ Red had made it out of the accident with Tyler with almost no damage. 

Jacob snorted, looking immensely amused, “You named your truck?” 

She squinted at him, “Why are you asking me like it’s weird?”

“Because it is!” Jacob laughed, attracting Lauren’s attention. 

The blonde narrowed her eyes at them, “You know Bell, Jacob?” She called out from across the blue fire. 

He bobbed his head in a nod. “We’ve known each other since I was born.” Jacob said in reply, shooting Bell another smile. 

“That’s nice.” Lauren said in a voice that implied she didn’t think it was nice at all. Bell sighed quietly when she noticed the look in Lauren’s eyes, already knowing what was gonna come out of her mouth. “Bell, I was just telling Tyler that it was too bad the Cullens wouldn’t come out today. Didn’t anyone invite them?” She asked with a faux expression of concern etched on her face. 

The oldest of the Quileute boys, Sam Uley, perked up. “You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen’s family?” He asked in a deep, rich voice. 

Lauren pursed her lips and turned halfway towards him. “Yes, do you know them?” She asked in a condescending tone. 

“The Cullens don’t come here.” Sam said in response, a strange finality in his voice that closed the subject then and there. Lauren didn’t get to say anything else, distracted by the album Tyler showed her on his phone. 

For a moment, Bell wondered if the Quileutes knew what the Cullens were. Native americans had all sorts of folklore that was never far from the truth. Was their species so dangerous that they were prohibited from stepping foot in the reservation? 

She ended up walking down the beach with Jacob, taking a few more pictures and showing him the ones she’d taken before he arrived. Unable to keep silent about it any longer, she brought up the subject as casually as she could while inspecting her latest shot of a seagull. “Hey, Jake, do you know why the Cullens aren’t allowed on the reservation?” 

The boy stiffened, biting his bottom lip and darting his eyes away. “I’m… not supposed to say anything about that.” Jacob said, basically squirming when she raised a curious eyebrow at him. 

“They didn’t…” Bell tilted her head, “kill anyone or anything like that, right?” 

“...No.” Jacob replied, even if he looked unsure himself. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, staring at her in silence before he opened his mouth again. “Do you know any of our legends?” 

“Not really,” Bell admitted, both of them taking a seat on a large driftwood’s twisted roots. 

Jacob lowered his voice, as if afraid his friends could hear what secrets he was about to spill. “There’s a legend that claims that the Quileute descended from wolves, and that they’re our brothers still. It’s against tribal law to kill them.” His voice then dropped even lower, “Then, there’s the stories about the cold ones.”

“The cold ones?” She echoed. 

He nodded, “According to legend, my great-great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one that made the treaty that kept them off our land.” Jacob said with the roll of his eyes. Obviously, he wasn’t taking this nearly as seriously as she was, something she couldn’t blame him for. “The cold ones, apparently, are the natural enemies of the wolves that turned into men, our ancestors. This pack of them that came during my great-great-grandfather’s time was different, they didn’t hunt the way others of their kind did. They weren’t a danger to the tribe. My great-great-grandfather made a truce with them, if they promised to stay off our lands then we wouldn’t expose them to the pale faces.” Jacob continued, giving her a wink as if to add _no offense._

“So these cold ones weren’t dangerous, but the tribe was still taking precautions.” Bell stated rather than asked. 

“They claimed that they didn’t hunt humans, that they learned to hunt animals instead, but you never know when they might get too hungry to resist.” There was a deliberate, thick edge of menace in his tone, possibly added to scare her. 

“Okay, so,” Bell pursed her lips for a moment before giving a small smile, “Are the Cullens these same cold ones or something?” She asked in a light tone, pretending she was taking this as a joke just as he was. 

Jacob smiled, albeit darkly, “The same ones.” He whispered conspiratorially. “There are more of them now, a new male and a new female, but the rest are the same. In my great-great-grandfather’s time, they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He’d been here and gone before your people had even arrived.” 

She busied herself with putting her camera in its case, the leather straps crossing her chest and back so the camera settled at her hip. “And what are these… cold ones?” 

“Blood drinkers.” 

Bell stopped. 

_“Oh, your hands are rather cold.”_

_“Well, you know what they say, doll…” Ruby eyes and a charming grin on a handsome, deathly pale face, “Cold hands, warm heart.”_

“You mean like…” She let out a small, breathless laugh, “vampires?” 

“Crazy stuff right?” Jacob grinned widely, mistaking her disbelief for genuine amusement. “No wonder my dad doesn’t want us to talk about it anymore.” 

Bell forced a smile on her face, pushing the old memory to the back of her mind. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I’ll take this to my grave, promise.” 

“Seriously, though, don’t say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren’t going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there.” He grimaced. 

“I won’t.” 

“So,” Jacob said after a brief moment of silence. “You think we’re a bunch of superstitious natives, or what?” He asked in a playful tone, but there was a hint of worry in his tone.

Bell looked at the waves rolling onto shore, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “Not really. When people are unable to explain certain things, they tend to use the supernatural. But there’s always some truths to myths and legends.” She pointed out, “Like how the mermaids Columbus saw in the Caribbean turned out to be manatees, and the famous city of El Dorado turned out to be just a guy who liked bathing in gold. Though they ended up being completely different things, they were still real.” 

“That’s true.” Jacob said, a boyish smile curling at his lips. 

The sound of rocks clattering against each other warned the pair that someone was approaching. They turned to see Mike and Jessica making their way over. “There you are, Bell!” Mike called out with a grin, waving an arm over his head. 

“Is that your boyfriend?” Jacob questioned as she waved back. 

Without missing a beat, she replied, “Not at all.” 

They both got to their feet, brushing themselves off with their hands. “I’ll be getting my license soon.” Jacob mentioned casually, making Bell smile.

“You could come over, we could hang out.” 

He beamed, making her chuckle. 

“Did you get more pictures?” Mike asked, almost excitedly as he finally reached them. Bell nodded her head, affection brewing in her chest at how enthusiastic everyone was about the pictures she’d taken today. “We’re packing up now. It looks like it’s gonna rain soon.” 

Dark clouds had rolled in, hiding the sun and obscuring the blue skies. There was even the distant rumble of thunder. 

“Yeah,” Bell said in agreement.

Jacob smiled at her despite the disappointment in his eyes. “It was nice seeing you again.”

“Next time my dad comes down to see Billy, I’ll come over. Promise.” She told him, patting his arm. “Thanks for today, Jake.” 

His smile widened into a grin. “It was nothing,” Jacob shrugged. 

With that, Bell followed after her classmates and walked to the parking lot. She pulled up the hood of her jacket as raindrops started falling from the sky, smacking audibly onto stone. Everyone had loaded everything in by the time they made it to Mike’s Suburban. Bell returned to her previous seat and stared out the window at the escalating storm, her thoughts racing a hundred miles an hour as they drove back to Forks. 

* * *

_What’s bugging you?_

Edward looked up from his shoes, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m thinking about her,” He paused. “Well, worrying, actually.”

Emmett laughed, plopping himself down on another rock and wiping away the bloody mess on his chin with the back of his hand, “What’s there to worry about? You can’t jump her bones if you’re here.” 

Both embarrassed and irritated, Edward scoffed. “Have you ever thought about how fragile humans are? How many bad things can happen to them?” He continued, as if his brother had said nothing at all. 

“Not really,” Emmett confessed, shrugging, “but I see what you mean. I wasn’t much match for a bear that first time around, was I?” He joked with a grin.

“Bears,” Edward whispered in something akin to horror, and Emmett’s smile fell. “Do bears go down to the beach? A stray bear could go after her.” 

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Emmett asked, sounding highly amused. 

“She could get hit by a car… or lightning… or fall down the stairs… or get sick— get a _disease_!” He gasped in terror, a hand flying up to tangle in the mess that was his hair. “Fires and earthquakes and tornadoes…! Have you seen the news lately? Burglaries and homicides…” Edward shot to his feet, ready to run back to Forks and make sure Bell was safe. 

Startled, Emmett got to his feet and put his hands up, “Woah, woah! Calm down, Eddie. Bell’s fine, she’s at the beach with her friends, right? They won’t let anything happen to her.” He said, trying to calm his fretting brother. 

Edward caught his bottom lip between his teeth anxiously. 

_This would be easier if…_ Bell appeared in Emmett’s mind, with pale skin and piercing red eyes. Edward looked at Emmett and shook his head furiously. 

“Absolutely not.”

Emmett frowned, “Isn’t it the best way though? It solves all your worries about her mortality _and_ you’d be together forever.” 

Edward swallowed thickly. “I can’t do that to her. I can’t ruin her life.” He said, closing his eyes for a moment. “Wouldn’t you feel the same, if it were Rosalie?” 

A surprisingly gentle smile tugged at Emmett’s lips. “You really love her already, huh?” He asked knowingly. 

“I can’t even describe it, Em,” Edward started, voice thick with emotion. “All of the sudden, this stranger means the whole world to me. I don’t see the point of life if she’s not a part of it.” 

_You’ll have to ask her, when she finds out. She’s not going to last forever, Ed._

“I know.” Edward sighed, sitting down on the boulder again.

Emmett wasn’t the most tactful person in the world, and delicate conversations were not his forte. He was trying his best though, wanting to be anything but offensive. 

“Are you okay with…” Emmett began, awkwardly, “touching her? Is that a problem?” He and Rosalie had a very physical relationship, and it was hard for him to understand how a couple could show their love for each other without that aspect.

Edward let his head drop into his hands, “I want to.” He said with a miserable groan, “So _badly_. You have no idea.” 

Again, his mind went to the small thought he managed to hear in the car. To the warmth and softness of her skin, to the soft look in her eyes as she looked at him. A part of him purred in utter _delight_ at the thought that he would have to follow her closely during Charlotte and Peter’s stay. If he was lucky, the sun would be hidden behind the clouds at some point and he would be able to spend time with her. Maybe, just maybe, Bell would kiss him then—

“What are you thinking about?” Emmett asked, looking intrigued at the dazed look on Edward’s face.

“Right now,” Edward began, sheepish, “I want to run back to her. I don’t know if I can make it to Sunday.” He admitted. 

“No.” Emmett said instantly, “Nuh-uh, you are _not_ going home early. Let Rose cool down first. Come on, do it for me, bro.” 

Edward pursed his lips, “I’ll try…” He trailed off unsurely. “But I’m not staying past Sunday.”

His brother pointed at the phone in Edward’s pocket. “If anything happens that justifies your panic attack, Alice will call.” Emmett reminded him. “Plus, she said we were free from school until Wednesday. It’s gonna be sunny until then.” 

“I’m not staying past Sunday.” Edward repeated strongly, shaking his head. “And I don’t care that Peter and Charlotte know how to behave, all it takes is one bad move and they could be hunting her down. I’m not taking any chances.” He said, cutting Emmett off when he’d opened his mouth to speak.

Emmett sighed. _Just like a crazy person…._

Bell was asleep when Edward climbed up to her window early Monday morning. He entered her room silently, feeling all the tension melt from his body at the sight of her and the embrace of her intoxicating scent. She was half covered by the sheets, her hair strewn over the pillow as she cuddled another one to her chest. He found himself envying it.

He moved closer to her side, taking in her relaxed features. A frown tugged at his lips at the shadows under her eyes, concern making his throat tight. Had she not slept well during the weekend? Did something happen? Was she sick?

Edward leaned closer and took a slow, deep breath.

No, she wasn’t sick. Perhaps… she'd gone out again with her friends and tired herself out? 

“Edward…” He froze and looked down at her in fear. She was still asleep, her soft lips parting as she murmured his name. Was she — he smiled widely — dreaming about him?

_If I could dream, I would dream about you, too,_ he found himself thinking, enamored. 

His fingers itched to push her hair away from her face and stroke her cheek, but that was a mistake he would not make again. Despite that thought, his lips trembled at the sheer need that slammed into him when she nuzzled into her pillow with the soft sigh of his name. 

Edward bit his bottom lip until it hurt, focusing instead on the new pictures that were slowly covering the entirety of her wall. He had to admit he was impressed with all of them. They looked professionally taken, even the silly ones where Bell had an arm around a laughing Angela Weber. Despite the happiness it brought him that she’d enjoyed herself, it made him uneasy that Bell had been in wolf territory all day— where he was unable to reach her if she ever needed help.

And, for a moment, he worried about what the elders living in the reservation had told her. He brushed the thought away. The Quileutes were bound by the treaty as well, they could not tell outsiders about the existence of vampires. No one would have told her anything, even if she asked. 

The first rays of sunshine peeked through the window, making him sigh deeply. The sun was just a reminder that he would have to watch her from afar in the next few days. Edward looked her over one last time before ducking out the window while the sun hadn’t completely risen. He walked to the thick forest behind the Swan residence, planning to stay there and see her off to school, but he caught a faint trail of her scent leading a little deeper. Curious, he followed.

She’d known where she was going, that much was clear. She hadn’t strayed from the trail and stopped at a specific point, just under a tall tree. Bell’s scent was on its roots, as if she’d just sat there for a while. He didn’t have time to imagine what she was up to, the chatter of a bird reaching his ears. Edward looked up to see the little nuthatch climbing up the bark of the tree, its chest feathers a beautiful, rusty cinnamon color. 

He recognized it as the same bird in multiple pictures on Bell’s wall. 

However cute the thought of her patiently waiting for the right moment to take a picture of her little friend, it was the exact same scenario he’d imagined for Emmett— Bell wandering alone in the woods, attracting the attention of someone who would be able to track her scent. 

It was alright now, though. He was here and he was going to protect her. 

Edward sat down in the same spot she had, listening to the squeaks and chirps of the nuthatch overhead, and waited for his love to get ready for school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmm i wonder who that vampire in the flashback was...
> 
> writing a paranoid edward was the best thing ever omg
> 
> also, sooo sorry for the late update, a lot of things have gone bad over here. college has been a disaster these past two weeks and both my mom and stepdad (who are first responders) got diagnosed with covid. the epidemiologist prohibited me from moving out of the house even after all my tests came back negative and the fact that i am a lupus patient. 
> 
> and let me tell you, being quarantined in your own house SUCKS. i have to call through the phone to make sure they’re in their bedroom if i want to go to the kitchen to get food and i have to wear a mask. so yeah, the stress wouldn’t let me write but today i sat down and wrote this baby in one go.
> 
> thank you for reading, hope you guys enjoyed and remember:
> 
> WASH YOUR HANDS AND WEAR A MASK, COVID IS NOT A JOKE !!


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